Mediators Find More Tools Through Neuroscience
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Mediators and other practitioners of alternative dispute resolution are using information gleaned from the research of world-class neuroscientists to calm emotions and help mediations resolve more easily. With the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging and the growing interest in brain mapping, neuroscientists and those trained by them are teaching thousands of mediators how to ease clients through a conflict-ridden process.
While the layperson may believe we make decisions with our rational mind, most if not all decisions are made in the emotional sections of our brain. Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio showed that someone who has had damage to the amygdala, a brain region that performs a major role in emotional reactions, is incapable of making even the simplest decisions.
And emotions are contagious. “When you have a group of humans together, you have a neuroscience problem,” says Paul Zak, director of the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies, who has popularized the idea of oxytocin as the “trust molecule” via his books and a 2011 TED Talk, which has gained more than 1.3 million views. Zak began speaking to and teaching mediators five years ago.
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