Mindfulness, Behaviour Change and Decision Making

Impact summary

Our research project considered the impact that learning about new behavioural insights through a mindfulness training programme had on the actions of public policy-makers. Mindfulness training is a secular practice, with religious antecedents, that supports the cultivation of present-centred, non-judgmental awareness through different meditative practices. It has been associated with the cultivation of heightened levels of awareness of the activities of the mind and body and how these activities inform behavioural responses. Our research focused on two main questions: 1. Can mindfulness training offer a context to support effective learning about new insights into the more-than-rational nature of human behaviour and motivation? 2. Can the combination of mindfulness training with behavioural insights education support the development of public policies that are ethically sensitive and empowering to those that are subject to them?

Beneficiaries

Welsh Government (various departments)
Private Sector Organisations (Ogilvy Mather, Global Action Plan

Impact status	Open
Impact date	03 Feb 2014 → 31 Dec 2020
Category of impact	Policy and legislation
Impact level	Benefit