Mindfulness as an Audit Tool: A Conceptual View and Advocacy for a Better Auditor Mind

• In Event: Continental Breakfast and Research & Education Forum
  In Roundtable Session: Table 2: Social and Macroeconomic Issues in Auditing

Abstract

Mindfulness concerns developing a cognitive capacity for “… a rich awareness of discriminatory detail and a capacity for action” (Weick et al. 1999, p. 37). Greater mindfulness is associated with improved self-regulation, greater clarity and cognitive flexibility, and, objectively informed responses and actions (Brown, Ryan, and Creswell 2007). This paper explores the conceptual relations between mindfulness and auditor professional skepticism (PS), and, considers mindfulness practices as possibilities for improving auditor judgments. We speculate that PS, mindfulness, and risk judgment quality positively covary and, that superior methods exist for developing mindful responses compared with PS. In addition, considering the mindfulness construct suggests implications for auditing practice and research.

Authors

• Yu-Tzu Chang, University of Kentucky

• Dan Stone, University of Kentucky