- ISHN GLOBAL - EHS RESEARCH Training - loosen upDid you ever
think about how your style as a safety trainer can encourage
either mindlessness or mindfulness? Dr. Langer made this case:
When facts are presented unconditionally as an absolute truth,
alternative ways of thinking about something are stifled. She
backed this up with an interesting study. A collection of
objects was introduced in an ordinary, unconditional way to one
group, as for example, "This is a dog's chew toy." For the
second group, objects were introduced conditionally with the
extra phrase "could be," as in, "This could be a dog's chew
toy." After the objects were introduced, the groups were asked
to complete some survey forms. Then the experimenter announced
that the survey could not continue because the wrong
instructions had been given and no spare forms were available.
Several subjects suggested, though, that the rubber chew toy
could be used as an eraser to correct the flawed forms.
Interestingly, this resourceful idea came only from