Kindness is good for emotional health, says Brock expert

Press release
BROCK UNIVERSITY
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Be kind – both for the good of humanity and for your own well-being, says Sandra Bosacki.

As World Kindness Day approaches on November 13, the Brock University education professor is reminding people of the benefits of practicing kindness toward yourself and others.

Bosacki says the message comes at an opportune time, as contentious global events fill news feeds and difficult conversations spill over into everyday interactions.

The director of Brock's Theory of Mind in Education (ToME) Lab studies how a kind and controlled mindset can help people treat others with compassion and feel better emotionally.

“Our research team is learning more about emotional regulation and control and investigating whether our ability to control our emotions influences our kind behavior – such as being generous, helpful or comforting – or is it the other way around?” Bosacki says.

Bosacki's research, which focuses on cognition and emotional well-being in teenagers, shows that people may act kindly and demonstrate self-control for a variety of reasons.

Some people control their emotions for the benefit of others, such as being kind and helpful to friends, she says. Others control their emotions to benefit themselves, often at the expense of others, to acquire things or achieve desired goals, and may act in manipulative or coercive ways.

According to Bosacki, exploring the complex connections between self-control and kindness can provide valuable insights into how people, particularly adolescents, can learn to balance “self-skills” such as self-regulation and emotional control to be kinder and more compassionate to themselves.

“Our research builds on previous data showing that when children and adolescents have kind, gentle and compassionate attitudes toward themselves and others, they are more able to regulate their emotions and actions and thrive in school feel more comfortable and competent. “, she says.

Bosacki hopes her research will shed light on how to balance self-control and kind thinking and actions, and how developing a kind mindset in teenage years will ultimately lead to a mindful and compassionate new generation of young adults.

“As many feel the often heavy emotional toll of global events, understanding as much as possible about how we regulate our emotions will help us all shape a better, kinder future for all of us,” Bosacki said.

The ongoing teen study, “Mentalization, Kindness, Self-Control and Well-Being,” is part of a larger five-year research project led by Bosacki.

Young people between the ages of 11 and 18 are invited to take part in the online study. Each participant must have parental consent and the child and parent must have a personal email address.

Parents who believe their children might be interested in participating can contact the Theory of Mind in Education lab at [email protected]

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