Conjuring a Reality: The Magic of the Practice of Accounting

• Authors: Stacy A. Mastrolia , Piotr Zielonka , Elton G. McGoun
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Purpose: Recently, magic has been given increasing attention by psychologists for what it can reveal about how the human cognitive system works. This paper examines whether these same cognitive processes are at play in another arena, specifi cally, the presentation of financial accounting� information. Approach: The authors reviewed the fi ndings of cognitive scientists from their studies of magicians and applied these to the activities of professional accountants. Findings: Specifi c cognitive processes which magicians and accountants take advantage of, explicitly for one and implicitly for the other, are the same: good continuation, habituation, and attentional capture. Value: Further research regarding such interactions between accounting and cognition has potential for enhancing our understanding of both. Certainly at this particular point in accounting history, as standard setters seem to be moving ever closer to implementing some version of a principles-based accounting regime versus our current rules-based accounting regime, it is worthwhile to contemplate the conscious and subconscious effects of cognitive processes on how individuals perceive financial information.

Keywords

EN

magic; accounting; human cognitive system; cognitive process; good continuation; habituation; attentional capture; cognition; conscious effect; subconscious effect; perception, financial information conjure

• Publisher: Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
• Journal: Management and Business Administration. Central Europe
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 3-17

Dates

published

2014-09-15

Contributors

author

Stacy A. Mastrolia

• School of Management, Bucknell University

author

Piotr Zielonka

• Warsaw University of Life Sciences

author

Elton G. McGoun

• School of Management

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