Psychology's own mindfulness: Ellen Langer and the social politics of scientific interest in "active noticing".
Shayna Fox Lee
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences June 3, 2019 DOI: 10.1002/jhbs.21975 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Social behavior History, 20th century |
| Key points | Argues that Langer's mindfulness construct is "indigenous" to disciplinary psychology, shaped by 1970s social-cognition priorities and her studies of mindless versus intentionally reflective behavior. Contends that although Langer's work is often grouped with the broader mindfulness field, the two differ in origination, definition, and goals, and uses comparative assessments to interrogate the social politics of mindfulness theories' success. |
Abstract
Ellen Langer's mindfulness construct is presented as "indigenous" to disciplinary psychology. Langer's early work laid the foundations for the research program she would come to call the psychology of possibility. Studying inattentive behavior (mindlessness) and intentionally reflective cognition (mindfulness) placed her work directly in line with the theoretical priorities of the 1970s and influenced the direction of research in several subdisciplines related to social cognition. Positioning Langer's work at an intersection crossed by various discourse communities in psychology explains much of its influence within the discipline. However, its relevance is additionally related to a broader field of research and application also employing the terminology of mindfulness. While superficially synonymous, the majority of mindfulness research is distinguished from Langer's due to differences in origination, definition, and goals. Comparative assessments are used as a lens through which to interrogate the social politics of mindfulness theories' burgeoning success over the past half century.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- What does mindfulness really mean? A canonical perspective Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Evaluation of Transcendental Meditation as a Method of Reducing Stress Science June 18, 1976
- Sleep During Transcendental Meditation Science January 23, 1976
and 4 more in the library