Abstract
This study aimed to examine the mediating role of nonduality in the relationship between aloneliness and compassion for others. In total, 680 people in Japan responded to an Internet survey. Ultimately, data from 495 individuals (235 men and 260 women; Mage = 41.20, SD = 10.82) were analyzed. Mediation analysis (bias-corrected method with 5,000 iterations) revealed a nonsignificant mediating effect of nonduality on the relationship between aloneliness and compassion for others (b = -0.02, SE = 0.04, p = .503, 95% CI [-0.10, 0.05]), whereas the direct effect of aloneliness on compassion for others was significant (b = 0.13, SE = 0.05, p = .007, 95% CI [0.03, 0.22]). Additionally, exploratory analyses not included in our preregistration indicated a significant mediating effect of compassion for others between nonduality and aloneliness (b = 0.14, SE = 0.06, p = .009, 95% CI [0.04, 0.26]). These findings suggest that negative states due to a lack of alone time do not necessarily inhibit prosocial tendencies. Further investigation of the interplay between aloneliness and compassion for others is warranted.
