description Ellen Langer Overview
Ellen Langer is an American social psychologist and professor at Harvard University whose research examines attention, decision-making, perceived control, and mindlessness. She is known for experimental work on the illusion of control and for developing a psychological conception of mindfulness centered on noticing novelty and context. Her work is studied in social psychology, health psychology, education, and research on how expectations influence behavior.
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Where does Ellen Langer teach?
Ellen Langer is a social psychologist and professor at Harvard University. Her research has examined attention, decision-making, perceived control, and mindlessness.
What is Langer's idea of mindlessness?
Mindlessness is the tendency to rely on old categories, habits, or automatic assumptions instead of noticing new information. Langer contrasted it with mindfulness, which involves active attention to context and change.
What did Ellen Langer study about the illusion of control?
Her experimental work examined why people can feel that they control outcomes that are actually shaped by chance. The research showed how confidence in control can arise even when a person has little real influence.
How does Langer define psychological mindfulness?
Langer's psychological concept of mindfulness involves noticing distinctions and staying open to new information. It is different from a purely meditation-based definition because it focuses on active awareness in everyday situations.
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