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2021/2022 KAN-CPSYV1050U Mindfulness in Decision Makings
| English Title | |
| Mindfulness in Decision Makings |
Course information |
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| Language | English |
| Course ECTS | 7.5 ECTS |
| Type | Elective |
| Level | Full Degree Master |
| Duration | One Semester |
| Start time of the course | Autumn |
| Timetable | Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk |
| Max. participants | 45 |
| Study board |
Study Board for BSc/MSc in Business Administration and
Psychology, MSc
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| Last updated on 12-02-2021 | |
Relevant links |
| Learning objectives | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The objective for the course is to provide the
student with an insight to the scope of mindfulness and its
relation to business. The student will get an overview of research
within the field of mindfulness and through this be able to
evaluate the values for decision makings in a broad scope of
situations. The student should be able to reflect critically on
topics provided during the course, and should be able to reflect on
these, in a written report as well as in a discussion.
To be awarded with the highest mark (12), the student, with no or just a few insignificant shortcomings, must fulfill the following objectives:
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| Course prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| A basic knowledge about marketing theory, decision-making and behavioral economics is a good foundation for this course, but not a necessity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Research within the field of mindfulness contributes to marketing theory in the field of consumer psychology and neuromarketing, with implications on industrial and societal level. Leaders may cultivate mindfulness in order to cope with stress, prevent burnout and be better equipped to empathize with coworkers. Mindful leaders develop attentional skills and emotional regulation, which help them focus on their work and create better relationships. On the society level, citizens may cultivate mindfulness in order to deal with impulsive consumption behavior. Consumers’ ability to act mindfully might benefit from their practice in many aspects of their live, and especially when short-term rewards are chosen instead of long-term benefits. This can be related to daily decisions (e.g. choosing healthy food) until long-term decisions (financial decisions). In that sense, consumers who practice mindfulness contribute to a healthier and more sustainable society. The concept of mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist psychology and indicates both a type of meditation practice and a personal characteristic that is developed because of this practice. Yet, there are many other levels of meditation. Students in class will become familiarized with different types of practices, their effects and benefits, and the theory and psychological mechanisms behind them. There are two strains of research concerning mindfulness; one based on Ellen Langer’s work and one based on Kabat-Zin’s practice and research. In the course we take the second approach because it offers different ways for experimentally testing how people can and will be able to develop mindful decision-makings. Thaler and Sustein already mentioned the issue of loss aversion in relation to decision making in their book Nudge, and according to the authors many decision turns out to be less favorable in the long term, due the loss aversion experience. A more mindful approach to many decisions could in a way become a tool to avoid compulsive and impulsive decisions and help consumers and leaders live and work more sustainable in all aspects of their life. |
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| Description of the teaching methods | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The intention of the teaching is, that students work in teams engaging in discussions and doing presentations throughout the course. These presentations would be directly based on the readings and/or exercises in class. The aim for the presentations is to clarify topics and areas of challenges related to the course topic. It will also be expected that students can apply theoretical concepts in their daily lives, demonstrating how aspects of mindfulness can help them become better consumers and leaders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback during the teaching period | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback is given in the middle of the semester based on the presentations in class. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Expected literature | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hart, R., Ivtzan, I., & Hart, D. (2013). Mind the Gap in Mindfulness Research: A Comparative Account of the Leading Schools of Thought. Review of General Psychology, 17(4), 453–466. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035212
Wallace, B. A., & Shapiro, S. L. (2006). Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. American Psychologist, 61(7), 690–701. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.7.690
Hafenbrack, A. C., Kinias, Z., & Barsade, S. G. (2014). Debiasing the Mind Through Meditation: Mindfulness and the Sunk-Cost Bias. Psychological Science, 25(2), 369–376. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613503853
Mick, D.G. (2017), Buddhist psychology: Selected insights, benefits, and research agenda for consumer psychology. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27: 117-132. doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2016.04.003
Evelien Van De Veer, Erica Van Herpen, Hans C. M. Van Trijp, Body and Mind: Mindfulness Helps Consumers to Compensate for Prior Food Intake by Enhancing the Responsiveness to Physiological Cues, Journal of Consumer Research, Volume 42, Issue 5, February 2016, Pages 783–803, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv058
Tang, Yi-Yuan. (2017). Mindfulness Meditation and Behavior Change. 10.1007/978-3-319-46322-3_5.
Kabat‐Zinn, J. (2003), Mindfulness‐Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10: 144-156. doi:10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Lykins, E., Button, D., Krietemeyer, J., Sauer, S., … Williams, J. M. G. (2008). Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples. Assessment, 15(3), 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107313003
Brown, K.W. & Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822-848.
Lutz A, Slagter HA, Dunne JD, Davidson RJ. Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends Cogn Sci. 2008;12(4):163–169. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2008.01.005 Davidson RJ, Lutz A. Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation. IEEE Signal Process Mag. 2008;25(1):176–174. doi:10.1109/msp.2008.4431873
The Science of Meditation - How to Change Your Brain, Mind and Body
Altered Traits - Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body af Daniel Goleman & Richard J. Davidson |
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