Empowering negotiating skills in law professionals: Neuro-cognitive applications

Abstract

Negotiating skills are not part of the traditional lawyer’s training. Today, however, advanced skills are required of the lawyer to settle disputes consensually before trial. Cognitive, psycho-social and communication aspects should be trained in a purposed way. Cognitive knowledge and brain technology may be combined to develop targeted empowering programs during negotiation training. This article outlines the methodology for a pilot study that investigates the cooperative problem-solving skills development through neuroscientific devices that are non-invasive, portable and therefore usable in ecological contexts. The use of Brain-Computer-Interface would allow trained negotiators to explicitly develop mind tools and skills, with greater interaction between intuitive and analytical thinking systems.