Ethics, Values, Virtues, and Character Strengths in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: a Psychological Science Perspective

Mindfulness, Jun 2015

This paper comments on an article by Monteiro, Musten, and Compson (Mindfulness 6: 1-13, 2015) and a series of replies that explored the issue of ethics training for participants in contemporary mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). The perceived need for explicit ethical training stems from concerns about potentially harmful or misguided applications of secular MBIs, particularly in settings whose activities may be inconsistent with the ethics of the Buddhist traditions from which mindfulness training originates. Much of the discussion in the target article and replies focused on whether ethical foundations of mindfulness in MBIs should remain implicit or should be taught from a Buddhist perspective. The present commentary argues that psychological science provides well developed alternatives for researchers and clinicians interested in secular approaches to ethics-related issues in MBIs. The experimental psychology literature provides a strong foundation for working with personally meaningful, prosocial values in MBIs. Positive psychology provides a complementary perspective on moral virtues and character strengths that have been widely recognized across cultures. Organizational psychology and related disciplines provide empirically based perspectives on the ethical implications of mindfulness training in the workplace. An approach to ethical issues in MBIs that is firmly grounded in psychological science and suitable for secular settings is recommended.

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Ethics, Values, Virtues, and Character Strengths in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: a Psychological Science Perspective

Ethics, Values, Virtues, and Character Strengths in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: a Psychological Science Perspective Ruth Baer 0 0 Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky , 115 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044 , USA This paper comments on an article by Monteiro, Musten, and Compson (Mindfulness 6: 1-13, 2015) and a series of replies that explored the issue of ethics training for participants in contemporary mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). The perceived need for explicit ethical training stems from concerns about potentially harmful or misguided applications of secular MBIs, particularly in settings whose activities may be inconsistent with the ethics of the Buddhist traditions from which mindfulness training originates. Much of the discussion in the target article and replies focused on whether ethical foundations of mindfulness in MBIs should remain implicit or should be taught from a Buddhist perspective. The present commentary argues that psychological science provides well developed alternatives for researchers and clinicians interested in secular approaches to ethics-related issues in MBIs. The experimental psychology literature provides a strong foundation for working with personally meaningful, prosocial values in MBIs. Positive psychology provides a complementary perspective on moral virtues and character strengths that have been widely recognized across cultures. Organizational psychology and related disciplines provide empirically based perspectives on the ethical implications of mindfulness training in the workplace. An approach to ethical issues in MBIs that is firmly grounded in psychological science and suitable for secular settings is recommended. Mindfulness-based interventions; Ethics; Values; Positive psychology; Virtues and character strengths; Worksite mindfulness training - The relationship between Buddhist conceptions of mindfulness and the contemporary psychological perspectives of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) has been extensively discussed (Williams and Kabat-Zinn 2013). In a recent review, Monteiro et al. (2015) described several criticisms of secular MBIs from the Buddhist perspective; the most serious of these was the lack of explicit ethics training for participants. Particular concern was expressed about workplace applications of mindfulness training where corporate expectations might not be consistent with traditional Buddhist ethics. Replies to Monteiro et al. offered a range of perspectives on this topic; the discussion focused largely on whether ethical foundations of mindfulness should remain implicit or should be taught from a Buddhist perspective. Much of the psychological literature on evidence-based ways of working with ethics-related issues in MBIs was not addressed. The present commentary argues that psychological science provides well-developed alternatives to both Buddhist-based and implicit approaches for researchers and clinicians interested in secular perspectives on ethical issues in MBIs. The experimental psychology literature provides a strong foundation for explicit work with personally meaningful prosocial values in MBIs. Positive psychology provides a complementary perspective on moral virtues and character strengths that have been widely recognized across cultures. Organizational psychology and related disciplines provide empirically based perspectives on the ethical implications of mindfulness training in the workplace. Following an overview and discussion of these bodies of literature, I argue for a psychological science-based approach that is theoretically sound, empirically supported, and suitable for contemporary secular settings. Ethical Training in MBIs Monteiro et al. and several of the replies noted that in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness training is accompanied by explicit instruction in ethical conduct as part of the eightfold path to the cessation of suffering. This foundational Buddhist teaching includes two components within the domain of wisdom (right view, right intention), three devoted to ethical behavior (right speech, right action, right livelihood), and three devoted to mental or meditative development (right effort, right concentration, right mindfulness). The term right signifies that each element of the path leads to reduced suffering for self or others (Amaro 2015; Monteiro et al. 2015); for example, right livelihood means earning one’s living in a way that is benevolent and causes no harm. Ethical behavior in Buddhist traditions is further described in the five precepts: to refrain from killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and misuse of intoxicants. These are sometimes expressed in more general terms (nonharming of living beings, nonharmful speech, etc.) and are understood not as commandments from a higher authority but rather as pragmatic ways of facilitating one’s own awakening and the well-being of others (Amaro 2015). According to some authors, the absence of explicitly ta (...truncated)


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Ruth Baer. Ethics, Values, Virtues, and Character Strengths in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: a Psychological Science Perspective, Mindfulness, 2015, pp. 956-969, Volume 6, Issue 4, DOI: 10.1007/s12671-015-0419-2