Mindfulness has been lauded as a practice, which improves the outcomes of many mental disorders and somatic conditions. But can mindfulness influence attitudes and moral judgements towards other people? In his lecture titled “Minding your morals: How trait mindfulness relates to the moral foundations, prejudice, and awareness of privilege”, Professor Paul Verhaeghen from the Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, in Atlanta, USA will present results of two studies focused on this topic.
The lecture, organized by SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral School is a part of the series The Challenges of the Humanities of the 21st Century.
The lecture will be delivered in English. Free admission.
Mindfulness is an important predictor of many outcomes: well-being, stress, anxiety, depression, and so on. In two studies, we examined whether habitual levels of mindfulness, broadly construed as self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence, are also related to moral attitudes (as measured by the Moral Foundations Questionnaire) and to different aspects of prejudice.
We found that reflective awareness and self-transcendence were directly related to individualizing aspects of morality (i.e., an emphasis on care and fairness); only self-transcendence and social conservatism were related to binding aspects of morality (i.e., an emphasis on loyalty, authority, and sanctity). The individualizing stance, in turn, led to less explicit prejudice, more awareness of privilege, and, indirectly, a higher motivation to control one’s prejudiced reactions.
Speaker
Paul Verhaeghen – cognitive psychologist, professor of psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He earned a doctoral degree from the Psychology University of Leuven in Belgium by researching plasticity in episodic memory performance in old age. His current research focuses on cognitive control concerns dealing with complex tasks in a complex environment, working memory dynamics and creativity, more specifically the link between creativity, mood disorder, and different types of rumination or, in other words, mental play.
Paul Verhaeghen is also a novelist, writing in his native Dutch. His novels include Lichtenberg (1996) and Omega Minor (2004). Omega Minor, translated to English by the author himself, has won the 2008 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
“The Challenges of Humanities of the 21st Century” is a series of lectures by distinguished specialists, who represent various disciplines from the field of humanities. The events are aimed at students of SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, however all interested parties are welcome. The format includes post-lecture informal discussions on topics presented by the invited experts. The friendly atmosphere of the events is conducive to networking, which lends itself to opportunities of future internships at universities or research centers around the world.
Doctoral Studies at SWPS University are directed to people interested in an academic career and also to those, who would like to continue their education and personal development in support of their career advancement. The interdisciplinary character of our programs allows students to participate in projects from various disciplines. Our doctoral students collaborate with scholars from the best research centers in Poland and around the world. The master-apprentice approach guarantees that each student receives individual attention and professional support.
More on the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School »
Date and Location
April 12, 2019 at 17.00, Room TBA
Chodakowska 19/31, 03-915, Warszawa, Poland
Organizer
SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral School »