Psychology's own mindfulness: Ellen Langer and the social politics of scientific interest in “active noticing”

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.

The influence of socio-cognitive mindfulness and resilience on middle managers' stress and thriving during COVID-19: results from two studies

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“…As Fox Lee (2019) stated, SCM recognizes “that we regularly mistake stable mindsets for stability in underlying phenomena” (p. 220). She also asserted that mindfulness research, in general, should not “ignore the sociohistorical and economic conditions of health, and other determinants of well-being beyond individual choice and action” (Fox Lee, 2019, p. 224). This study provides evidence that SCM can contribute to positive outcomes while being exposed to a novel adverse situation at the societal and global level, even while mindfulness is context sensitive.…”

Enhancing doctor-patient relationships in community health care institutions: the Patient Oriented Four Habits Model (POFHM) trial—a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial protocol

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