What wacky, weird and mostly wonderful things are happening inside your client's brain during mediation? Longtime mediator Michelle Jernigan helps litigators to make sense of it all so they can better support and guide their clients.

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are proud to cosponsor today‟s Webinar:
Your Client‟s Brain in
Mediation

2. Our moderator,
Sandy Upchurch
Mediation
Counsel
Upchurch Watson
White & Max
supchurch@
uww-adr.com
uww-adr.com
Our presenter,
A. Michelle
Jernigan
Shareholder
Upchurch
Watson White &
Max
mjernigan@
uww-adr.com
uww-adr.com
2

3. Your Client‟s
Brain in
Mediation
Presented by A. Michelle
Jernigan
Upchurch Watson White &
Max Mediation Group

4. A few basic brain facts
 2% of total body mass
 15% of cardiac blood flow
 Consumes 20% of oxygen
 Uses 25% of total body glucose
 Requires just-right levels of oxygen
and glucose. Absence leads to rapid
death Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 4

5. THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN
Neocortex - Thought
Limbic System – Emotion
Reptilian Brain - Instinct
Source: “Three Brains in One: Instinct , Emotion &
Intellect” (http://www.sustainablesonoma.org/
keyconcepts/threebrains.html) 5

6. • Senses are processed
• Emotions are generated
• First and most basic cerebral
reactions to stimulus
THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN:
LIMBIC SYSTEM, NEOCORTEX
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Source: Brain Anatomy: Limbic System,
http://sdsu.edu/multimedia/mathison/limbic

7. 7
Hippocampus:
• Controls memory,
regulates emotions
Hypothalamus:
• Controls body
temperature,
hunger, thirst,
fatigue and
sleep cycles
PFC (pre-frontal
cortex:
• Decision-making,
thinking,
conceptualizing
and planning
Amygdala:
• Rapid
relevance
detector
Sources: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services/
Introduction to the Human Brain, 2013, Francois
Bogacz

8. Fear (Danger) and Reward
(Pleasure)
 More sensitive to fear than reward
 Avoid pain and danger; seek reward
 Dopamine released in reward and in
anticipation of reward
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 8

9. Fear Hormones
 Adrenaline, cortisol, norepinephrine
released when fear is experienced
 Adrenaline (fight or flight hormone),
norepinephrine (stimulate arousal)
 Cortisol (stress hormone) slower to
release and has longer lasting effect.
Chronic elevated levels can cause
serious health problems.
Source: Huffington Post, Sarah Klein, April 19, 2013 9

10. Fear Reward
 Faster acting
 Stronger
 Longer lasting
 Adversarial capacities
up
 Cognitive capacities
down
 More likely to dominate
 Slower acting
 Milder
 Shorter lasting
 Collaborative
capabilities up
 Cognitive capacities
 Less likely to dominate
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 10

11. THE SOCIAL BRAIN
Medial Prefrontal
Cortex (mPFC):
• Norms and scripts
• Theory of mind
• In-group/out –of-
group
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 11
Amygdala:
• Size correlated
with size of real
and online
social network
Posterior cingulated
cortex (PCC):
• Anterior Insular
Cortex:
empathy, compassio
n, interpersonal
phenomena
• Fusiform Gyrus:
 Face and body
recognition
 Word recognition

12. Social systems defined
 Interrelationships between
individuals, groups and institutions
 Formal organization of status and role
12Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services

13. Three aspects of a social
system
 Relationship (one to one)
 Socialization (group member)
 Status (social hierarchy)
13Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services

14. Brain fact:
Social stimuli are as powerful as physical
stimuli
Social Fear Social Reward
 Social exclusion
 Bereavement
 Being treated unfairly
 Negative social
comparison
 Good reputation
 Cooperation
 Being treated fairly
 Schadenfreude
14Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services

15. Unfairness:
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Unfairness: By 19-21 months of age we already
possess context sensitive expectations relative to
fairness
• First experienced
through
amygdala and
then cortical
process
• Unfair proposals
create conflict in
brainSources: Sloane, S.; Baillargeon, R.; Premack, D,.
2012/
2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services

16. Status
 Develops at 14 months
 Higher status:
◦ More access to scarce resources
◦ More social support
◦ Better health, longer life, more
reproductive success
◦ More power Sources: Anderson, C.; Kildoff, G.J. (2009)/ Ellis
(1994)/Keltner, D.;Gruenfeld, D.; and Anderson, C.
(2003) 16

17. Power and Behavior
High Power
 Proactive
 Positive
 Attentive to
rewards
 Snap judgments
 Disinhibited
behavior
Low Power
 Reactive
 Negative
 Attentive to threats
 Deliberate
reasoning
 Inhibited behavior
Source: Keltner, D.;Gruenfeld, D.; and Anderson, C.
(2003) 17

18. Power and Physiology
High Power equals:
 Elevated
testosterone,
decreased cortisol
 Feelings of power
and greater
tolerance for risk
Low Power
equals:
 Just the opposite
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 18

19. Eye Contact
Non-humans Most humans
 Direct gaze elicits an
adverse response
(dominance)
 Sustained – represents a
challenge for dominance
 Eye contact foundational
to communication and
social interaction
 Lack of eye contact
perceived as a threat
 Sustained – represents a
challenge for dominance
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 19

20. Autonomy: Perception
of Self-Governance
 Feeling autonomous: Positive
 Physiology of autonomy:
1. Award response when we choose
2. Ego-enhancing
3. Lack of autonomy is painful
4. Culture’s role
Sources: Moller, A.C.; Deci, E.L.; Ryan, R.M. (2006)/
Amat, J. et. al. (2005)/ Fisher, R.,; Shapiro, D.
(2005)/2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 20

21. Empathy and „In-Group‟
Feelings
© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 21

22. Elements Necessary for
Empathy
 Affective state
 Identical to another‟s affective state
 Elected by observing or imagining
another‟s affective state
 Other person source of your affective
state
Source: De Vignemont, F.; Singer, T (2006) 22

23. EMPATHY GAP
• Out-of-Group
• No affective state
© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 23

24. Empathy and Gender
 Women and men empathize with fair
people
 Men have much less empathy for
unfair people
Source: Singer et al, Nature (2006) 24

25. In Negotiation
and Mediation:
Source: Galinsky, A.D. et al (2008) 25
Perspective taking is the active consideration
of the viewpoint of another person.
• Perspective taking
increases ability to find
hidden agreements
• Empathy can be
detrimental
• Negotiation tip:
Exercise perspective
taking and engender
empathy

26. Theory of Mind
© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 26
• Mental state attribution
• PFC and Superior
Temporal Sulcus
• Varies among people
• Accuracy of empathy
depends on mental
attribution system and
mirroring

27. COOPERATION
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
AND HORMONES
1. Oxytocin:
 Positive effect
 Increases trust
2. Serotonin:
 Produced on reward
 Fosters cooperative behavior
3. Dopamine:
 Regulates mood
 Appetite and sleep
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 27

28. The Cognitive Brain – The PFC
Top-down guidance of attention and
thought
 Regulates emotion; inhibits
inappropriate actions
 Creative thought
 Needs just the right amount of stress
hormones
Source: Introduction to the Human Brain, 2013,
Francois Bogacz 28

29. Source: 2012-13, F. Bogacz and J. Lack 29
Stress and the PFC
Alert
Interested
Moderate amounts of
norepinephrine/dopamine
Fatigued Stressed
Bored PFC turned off
Inadequate level of Excessive amount of
norepinephrine/dopamine norepinephrine/dopamine
Levels of norepinephrine/dopamine

30. Insight – Knowing – „Eureka!‟
Generating insight in
negotiation/mediation:
 Physical seating, location, changing the
space
 Brainstorming, verbally or with a board
or post-its
 Diagramming the conflict© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 30

31. Cognitive Biases (Heuristics)
Affect Decision Making
 Overconfidence
bias
 Availability bias
 Sunk cost effect
 Recency effect
 Primacy effect
 Anchoring
 Framing
© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 31

32. Decision Fatigue
 Time of day
 Glucose and oxygen levels
 Too many options → fear
 Options that are too novel → fear
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 32

33. More Effects
 Intuition (gut feeling, pattern
recognition)
 Stress
◦ Physical effects
◦ Cognitive effects
◦ Emotional effects
© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 33

34. Mindfulness
 Present moment
 Meditation improves mindfulness
 Higher mindfulness → lower amygdala
reactivity → less depression
Source: 2013 Neuroawareness Consulting Services 34

35. Cognitive Brain and Aging
 Teenage years
 Girls versus boys
 Ages 22 to 25
 Processing speed
 Social problem solving
 Memory decline
 Episodic v. semantic memory
© A. Michelle Jernigan, Upchurch Watson White &
Max 35

36. Gender Differences
Women Men
Brains are 10 % smaller & 11% more
dense-wired for more “gut feeling”
Brains are large (but size doesn‟t
equate
to IQ)
More connective tissue between
hemispheres
Less connective tissue between
hemispheres
Wired for human gaze Not wired for human gaze
Larger hippocampus (emotion/memory-
women recall more details with
emotional events)
Smaller hippocampus (men recall fewer
details except when angry or
threatened)
Talking increases oxytocin & dopamine
(pleasure center)
Talking increases dependence
Self-esteem is about connecting Self-esteem is about independence
Source: Gender in Mediation: Negotiation & the
Gender Divide, Perkins, K (2010) 36

37. Negotiating Styles
 Women cannot successfully mirror
male negotiating styles
 7% of women ask for more money in
response to an initial job offer while
57% of men do
 Women offered less money/reward for
the same task
37
Source: Gender in Mediation: Negotiation & the
Gender Divide, Perkins, K (2010)

38. Female Negotiating Styles
 Recognize and apply a process or rules
 Broad or collective perspective
 Big picture
 Comfortable communicating and sharing experiences
 How problems are solved
 What both sides need/want
 Cooperative view
 Find win/win
 Preserve and enhance long-term business relationships
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Source: Gender in Mediation: Negotiation & the
Gender Divide, Perkins, K (2010)

39. Male Negotiating Styles
 Has a bargaining advantage
 Stronger sense of entitlement
 Sense of pride and self-importance
 Speaks up more
 Entitlement to information
 Makes sure people know what their ideas are
 Stronger, more aggressive speaker
 Seeking power; believe deserve power;
 Makes it sound as if they know more
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Source: Gender in Mediation: Negotiation & the
Gender Divide, Perkins, K (2010)

40. “Your Client’s
Brain in
Mediation”
Florida Bar
Course #
1401475N
CLE Credits
General: 1.5
Thank You
For Joining Us.
Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group
Daytona Beach  Maitland/Orlando  Jacksonville  Miami  Fort Lauderdale/Plantation  West Palm
Beach
Please email cklasne@uww-adr.com with questions about course number, Webinar recording, etc.
Please contact Michelle
at mjernigan@uww-
adr.com with questions
or comments regarding
content.
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