Toward a Deweyan Theory of Communicative Mindfulness

Abstract

Previous research has portrayed communicative mindfulness as involving effortful cognitive processing. However, recent work in the field of psychology conceptualizes mindfulness as a quality of consciousness, and not necessarily connected to high-level effortful cognition. This study proposes a comprehensive framework for understanding communicative mindfulness that incorporates these diverse characterizations of mindfulness (i.e., effortful cognition vs. quality of consciousness). Using John Dewey's work on aesthetic experience, I argue that communicative mindfulness can be conceptualized as involving both the immediate and cognitively-mediated minding of one's present communicative situation. This conceptualization allows for the inclusion of mindful and effortful cognitive processing in a theory of communicative mindfulness, as well as for states of immediate mindfulness in communicative situations.

“Stopping for knowledge”: The sense of beauty in the perception-action cycle

“…In a seminal contribution, Monroe Beardsley (1981) explicitly described aesthetic appreciation as a cognitive process, suggesting that aesthetic experiences occur when attention is focused on the perceptual features of the object (Marković, 2012). Similarly, according to the philosopher Dewey, aesthetic experiences maintain the focus of the perceivers on the ever-changing present moment and thus prevent the engagement in more mechanical, routinely interactions with the environment (Stroud, 2010). In line with this theoretical framework, Menninghaus and colleague recently proposed the Distancing-Embracing model (Menninghaus et al, 2017).…”

“…In the domain of education and learning research, following Dewey's model of transformative experiences (Stroud, 2010), aesthetic emotions have been already considered as a relevant factor in determining students' engagement in learning activities (Girod and Wong, 2005;Mastandrea et al, 2019;Parrish, 2009;Uhrmacher, 2009). As we have previously suggested, the investigation of the relation between learning and beauty perception should not be limited to the domain of low-level sensory processing but should also embrace higher-level abstract cognitive domains, such as mathematical insight, language acquisition and science learning (e.g.…”

Aesthetic appreciation of musical intervals enhances behavioural and neurophysiological indexes of attentional engagement and motor inhibition

“…This notion was further adapted into a psychological theory of aesthetics by the philosopher Schopenhauer 10 , according to whom aesthetic experiences free the observer from “will”, allowing him or her to achieve a transitory will-less [willenlos] perception of the world.” Therefore, aesthetic appreciation is defined as independent from any material or social reward or loss (i.e., disinterested ; for a recent discussion see e.g., Kreitman 11 ) and at the same time prompted by a special attitude of attention (i.e., focused on the stimulus features; see e.g., Stolnitz 12 ). For the philosopher Dewey, aesthetic experiences involve an intense engagement in the ever-changing present moment and stand out from more mechanical and routine interactions with the environment 13 . The temporary suspension of prototypical responses that results from psychological distance (i.e.…”

Environmental Psychology and Product Design

“…Would be interesting to commence the theory of aesthetic concept from the work of John Dewey, with his book "Art as Experience", from 1934. This American pragmatism philosopher argued that aesthetics grounds lie on the "museum concept of art" and if a person wants to understand the world of art should begin with and understanding of the world of everyday experiences (Stroud, 2010).…”