Joint Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions

Curse of the Poker Face: The Effects of Mindfulness on Auditors’ Ability to Identify Fraud Risk Factors

• In Event: Dialogue 1: Audit and Social Responsibility

Abstract

The present study evaluates the effects of mindfulness practices (e.g., emotion regulation) on the accurate identification and recall of fraud risk factors. Auditors work in a contentious environment and use coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness, to deal with the negative effects. Mindfulness practices are a fast-growing trend and include emotion regulation. Emotion regulation strategies have differing effects on cognitive load that may impact auditors’ ability to identify fraud risk factors and recall details about fraud risk factors. Auditors use prompts to further enhance their ability to identify fraud risks. Findings show that Amazon Mechanical Turk participants more accurately identify fraud risk factors when not prompted than when they are given a prompt, but graduate students are more accurate when prompted than not. These sample groups also differ in the amount of time spent on the study, familiarity with mindfulness, and years of experience.

Author

• Marie Rice, Siena College