Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cognitive Rigidity
The old adage “experience makes you wiser” may not always be the case. Studies have shown that experience may actually blind you to seeing simpler more innovative solutions. According to a recent study, mindfulness meditation can help reduce this tendency also known as cognitive rigidity.
In two separate studies with either experienced or novice meditators, Greenberg, Reiner and Meiran (2012) examined the impact of mindfulness meditation on cognitive rigidity. In the first experiment, participants were divided into two groups: those with a minimum of 3 years meditation experience and those having no meditation experience but who expressed an interest in meditation. The second experiment divided participants into two groups: one that was exposed to an 8 week meditation program and a waiting list group (control group). In both experiments, participants were required to use three jugs in combination to meet a goal level of water in a target cup. The initial problems were solvable through a specific complex formula but as the problem changed, a simpler solution was possible. The results showed that both experienced and novice meditators chose simpler solutions than the other groups resulting in lower rigidity scores.
The researchers hypothesized that the meditators weren’t blinded by experience because mindfulness requires adopting a ‘beginner’s mind’ and `being in the present moment` which enables individuals to have a fresh perspective. Therefore mindfulness can help avoid the ‘experience trap’ by reducing the tendency to overlook new ways of responding.
