Journal of Entrepreneurship Education (Print ISSN: 1098-8394; Online ISSN: 1528-2651)

Abstract

Impact of Ultra-Brief Mindfulness Practice on Empathy in Entrepreneurial Courses

Author(s): Dr. Roderick Shane Snipes

Mindfulness is being incorporated into various arenas, resulting in improved learning, less stress, and more creativity. Revolving around mindfulness in entrepreneurship training, the current project aimed to assess whether and how mindfulness improves the empathy of classroom participants. The research offered an intervention of mindfulness to six sections of college students who were studying entrepreneurship. The project used assessments before and after the research to measure empathy. Empathy was assessed through five dimensions: perspective taking, online simulation, emotion contagion, peripheral responsivity, proximal responsivity, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy. There were significant high empathy outcomes in the mindfulness treatment group compared to the nontreatment group. The current project contributes to mindfulness research within education and offers implications for empathy. The research contributes to shaping a new perspective on mindfulness in the context of teaching entrepreneurial courses that advance empathy. Thus, the purpose of this paper is twofold: to contribute to the pedagogy for entrepreneurship, by explaining the meaning and significance of mindfulness in teaching entrepreneurship and by describing an ultra-brief mindfulness educational approach that facilitates its development.

Get the App