Cognitive biases and mindfulness
Philip Z. Maymin, Ellen J. Langer
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications February 7, 2021 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-021-00712-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A brief mindfulness induction reduced susceptibility to 19 of 22 cognitive biases and increased scores on 11 of 14 mindfulness survey items. |
Abstract
Abstract In a study testing whether mindfulness decreases cognitive biases, respondents answered 22 standard cognitive bias questions to measure susceptibility to the endowment effect, overconfidence, mental accounting, anchoring, loss aversion, and 17 other biases, as well as the 14 questions of the Langer mindfulness survey (LMS), measuring the traits of novelty-seeking, novelty producing, and engagement. A portion of the respondents were randomly pre-assigned to a condition that induced mindfulness. On 19 of the 22 biases, those induced to be mindful were less likely to show the bias. They also scored higher on 11 of the 14 LMS questions. The method by which we induced mindfulness was unrelated to the context of the later questions, involving image comparisons and standard Langerian instructions to notice three new things. People can boost their decision-making abilities merely by increasing their mindfulness, with no need for meditation, psychological training, or statistical education.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Mindfulness predicts less depression, anxiety, and social impairment in emergency care personnel: A longitudinal study PLoS One December 15, 2021
- From Confound to Clinical Tool: Mindfulness and the Observer Effect in Research and Therapy. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Why is mindfulness helpful? Exploration of the flexibility of cortical control in practitioners of Buddhism. Consciousness and Cognition June 28, 2025
- Evaluation of a socio-cognitive mindfulness program using a mobile application to promote nursing students' mindfulness, emotion regulation, and empathy: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Nursing March 4, 2026
- Brief Online Socio-Cognitive Mindfulness Interventions Neither Improve Socio-Cognitive Mindfulness nor Cognitive Biases: A Two-Study Conceptual Replication and Reanalysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness June 1, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 2
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry April 1, 1982