Theory of Meaning
How do people create meaning?
There is no meaning without conscious human beings. We create meaning for ourselves in interactive relationships with other human beings. The trainer will present this process and discuss the implications of each aspect – leading to the ultimate advent of the naive ‘self’ at about age four to seven.
Random events
Epigenetic Rules
Pattern forming
Constraints [typical/atypical tolerances]
Attributions [explanations of cause/effect (implications)]
Valuation [utility = pleasure/pain]
Interpretation
Schema
Attitudes
Core Beliefs = self [selves, personality (attitude sets)]
others [what we believe they think about us and what we think about them], and
future prospects [expectancies based upon locus of control, controllability and stability]
Constraints [social/individual]
Context-
The advent of the ‘self’ begins with the change from a ‘bottom up’ or data driven process to a ‘top down’ or theory driven process. Thus all new learning must agree with or differ with the presently held beliefs. New information therefore must be accommodated [the belief system is altered to accept the new data] or assimilated [the new information is altered to fit the belief system].
The self is used to predict the events of the world – access to the self and its core beliefs is through:
Automatic Thoughts – leakage of beliefs
Two major levels of cognitive intervention are considered:
Cognitive Process [Error] Correction – this is similar to what is generally known as cognitive therapy and rational emotive therapy and is a process of correcting specific cognitive errors that become apparent through the automatic thoughts.
Cognitive Restructuring – this is a much more extensive process in which the change worker helps the person identify the specific core beliefs and begin to address them directly. While this process starts with cognitive process correction, it then includes imagery and unanswerable questions to extend the client to articulate ineffable thoughts. The automatic thoughts ultimately become the signal that the core thoughts are changing, rather than the clue as to what the core thoughts are.
Both interventions follow the five-step process [awareness, attention, analysis, alternatives and adaptation], but one is more deeply involved – taking more time and perhaps more skill. Restructuring is also more likely to include imagery as a process of change. Both processes could be considered a cognitive [or behavioral] rehabilitation process. Rehabilitation means to re-qualify. To qualify is to make fit or capable. Thus a person can make their thoughts more fit and become more capable. Because thought influences feelings which influences behavior – the final outcome is more fit behaviors.
A third method of cognitive behavior management is concerned with prevention.
Culture Restructure
Risk factors and their operation During the past decade, a number of risk factors have been identified that place children at increased risk for psychological disorders. Coie et al., grouped empirically derived, generic risk factors into the following seven [07] individual and environmental domains:
- Constitutional handicaps: perinatal complications, neurochemical imbalance, organic handicaps, and sensory disabilities;
- Skill development delays: low intelligence, social incompetence, attentional deficits, reading disabilities, and poor work skills and habits;
- Emotional difficulties: apathy or emotional blunting, emotional immaturity, low self-esteem, and emotional disregulation;
- School problems: scholastic demoralization and school failure;
- Interpersonal problems: peer rejection, alienation, and isolation;
- Family circumstances: low social class, mental illness in the family, large family size, child abuse, stressful life events, family disorganization, communication deviance, family conflict, and poor bonding to parents;
- Ecological risks: neighborhood disorganization, extreme poverty, racial injustice, and unemployment.
Theory and research support a number of observations about the operation of these risk factors and the development of behavioral maladaptation.
- First, development is complex and it is considered unlikely that there is a single cause of, or risk factor for, any disorder. It is doubtful that only intervening with causes that are purported to reside in the child alone can eliminate most childhood social and behavioral disorders.
- Furthermore, there appear to be multiple pathways to most psychological disorders. That is, different combinations of risk factors may lead to the same disorder and no single cause may be sufficient to produce a specific negative outcome.
- In addition, risk factors occur not only at individual or family levels, but at all levels within the ecological model.
The complexity of developmental pathways is clear from research relating risk factors to disorders. There appears to be a non-linear relationship between risk factors and outcomes. Although one or two risk factors may show little prediction to poor outcomes, there are rapidly increasing rates of disorders with additional risk factors. However, not all children who experience such contexts develop adjustment problems and no one risk factor alone seems to account for children’s adjustment difficulties.
Just why this is true can be found in the pattern formation and decision making of the individual child which is built over time from random data collection [i.e., not all stimuli are received equally by the individual in proximity nor are they necessarily interpreted the same]. Thus, as the child creates a theory of meaning about the world and his/her place in it, the patterns formed and the judgements made about those patterns differ and create either a balanced and rational or a distorted and irrational ‘inner logic’ which determine what the individual will even consider stressful, let alone how they will act in stressful situations. This is the linkage that ties all of the risk factors together. It is not handicaps or poverty per se that cause the difficulties, but rather it is the interpretation of these experiences based largely on the messages received from significant others around the child that causes the difficulties. Poverty, in and of itself, is not harmful. However, there is a tendency for people in general to interpret poverty as dreadful, ‘awfulizing’ the facts of poverty far beyond its reality. This ‘awfulizing’ is contagious. The same is true for a constitutional handicap, it can be interpreted in its direst form or accepted as a reality to be dealt with and overcome.
Given the above findings, it is apparent that many developmental risk factors are not disorder-specific, but may relate instead to a variety of maladaptive thoughts that are supported or disputed by the ecosystem surrounding the child. The notion of using specific balanced and rational memes to promote thinking provides the basis for cultural restructuring.
Protective factors and their operation
Protective factors are variables that reduce the likelihood of maladaptive outcomes under conditions of risk. Although less is known about protective factors and their operation at least three [03] broad domains of protective factors have been identified.
- The first domain includes characteristics of the individual such as cognitive skills, social-cognitive skills, temperamental characteristics, and social skills.
- The second domain is comprised of the quality of the child’s interactions with the environment. These interactions include secure attachments to parents and attachments to peers or other adults who engage in positive health behaviors and have prosocial values.
- A third protective domain involves aspects of the mesosystem and exosystem, such as school-home relations, quality schools, and regulatory activities. Similar to risk factors, some protective factors may be more malleable and thus, more effective targets for prevention.
Coie et al. suggested that protective factors might work in one or more of the following four [04] ways:
- directly decrease dysfunction;
- interact with risk factors to buffer their effects;
- disrupt the mediational chain by which risk leads to disorder;
- or prevent the initial occurrence of risk factors.
By specifying links between protective factors, positive outcomes, and reduced problem behaviors, prevention researchers may more successfully identify relevant targets for intervention. However, the development of rational and balanced thoughts concerning what is happening around you substantially buffers the potential for dysfunction as well as disrupting the mediational chain by with risk leads to disorder. By enhancing the balanced and rational thinking of the child managers, one reduces the negative messages and nonconscious reinforcements that may contribute to the disorder itself.
How do people create meaning?
There is no meaning without conscious human beings. We create meaning for ourselves in interactive relationships with other human beings. The trainer will present this process and discuss the implications of each aspect – leading to the ultimate advent of the naive ‘self’ at about age four to seven.
Random events
Epigenetic Rules
Pattern forming
Constraints [typical/atypical tolerances]
Attributions [explanations of cause/effect (implications)]
Valuation [utility = pleasure/pain]
Interpretation
Schema
Attitudes
Core Beliefs = self [selves, personality (attitude sets)]
others [what we believe they think about us and what we think about them], and
future prospects [expectancies based upon locus of control, controllability and stability]
Constraints [social/individual]
Context-
The advent of the ‘self’ begins with the change from a ‘bottom up’ or data driven process to a ‘top down’ or theory driven process. Thus all new learning must agree with or differ with the presently held beliefs. New information therefore must be accommodated [the belief system is altered to accept the new data] or assimilated [the new information is altered to fit the belief system].
The self is used to predict the events of the world – access to the self and its core beliefs is through:
Automatic Thoughts – leakage of beliefs
Two major levels of cognitive intervention are considered:
Cognitive Process [Error] Correction – this is similar to what is generally known as cognitive therapy and rational emotive therapy and is a process of correcting specific cognitive errors that become apparent through the automatic thoughts.
Cognitive Restructuring – this is a much more extensive process in which the change worker helps the person identify the specific core beliefs and begin to address them directly. While this process starts with cognitive process correction, it then includes imagery and unanswerable questions to extend the client to articulate ineffable thoughts. The automatic thoughts ultimately become the signal that the core thoughts are changing, rather than the clue as to what the core thoughts are.
Both interventions follow the five-step process [awareness, attention, analysis, alternatives and adaptation], but one is more deeply involved – taking more time and perhaps more skill. Restructuring is also more likely to include imagery as a process of change. Both processes could be considered a cognitive [or behavioral] rehabilitation process. Rehabilitation means to re-qualify. To qualify is to make fit or capable. Thus a person can make their thoughts more fit and become more capable. Because thought influences feelings which influences behavior – the final outcome is more fit behaviors.
A third method of cognitive behavior management is concerned with prevention.
Culture Restructure
Risk factors and their operation During the past decade, a number of risk factors have been identified that place children at increased risk for psychological disorders. Coie et al., grouped empirically derived, generic risk factors into the following seven [07] individual and environmental domains:
- Constitutional handicaps: perinatal complications, neurochemical imbalance, organic handicaps, and sensory disabilities;
- Skill development delays: low intelligence, social incompetence, attentional deficits, reading disabilities, and poor work skills and habits;
- Emotional difficulties: apathy or emotional blunting, emotional immaturity, low self-esteem, and emotional disregulation;
- School problems: scholastic demoralization and school failure;
- Interpersonal problems: peer rejection, alienation, and isolation;
- Family circumstances: low social class, mental illness in the family, large family size, child abuse, stressful life events, family disorganization, communication deviance, family conflict, and poor bonding to parents;
- Ecological risks: neighborhood disorganization, extreme poverty, racial injustice, and unemployment.
Theory and research support a number of observations about the operation of these risk factors and the development of behavioral maladaptation.
- First, development is complex and it is considered unlikely that there is a single cause of, or risk factor for, any disorder. It is doubtful that only intervening with causes that are purported to reside in the child alone can eliminate most childhood social and behavioral disorders.
- Furthermore, there appear to be multiple pathways to most psychological disorders. That is, different combinations of risk factors may lead to the same disorder and no single cause may be sufficient to produce a specific negative outcome.
- In addition, risk factors occur not only at individual or family levels, but at all levels within the ecological model.
The complexity of developmental pathways is clear from research relating risk factors to disorders. There appears to be a non-linear relationship between risk factors and outcomes. Although one or two risk factors may show little prediction to poor outcomes, there are rapidly increasing rates of disorders with additional risk factors. However, not all children who experience such contexts develop adjustment problems and no one risk factor alone seems to account for children’s adjustment difficulties.
Just why this is true can be found in the pattern formation and decision making of the individual child which is built over time from random data collection [i.e., not all stimuli are received equally by the individual in proximity nor are they necessarily interpreted the same]. Thus, as the child creates a theory of meaning about the world and his/her place in it, the patterns formed and the judgements made about those patterns differ and create either a balanced and rational or a distorted and irrational ‘inner logic’ which determine what the individual will even consider stressful, let alone how they will act in stressful situations. This is the linkage that ties all of the risk factors together. It is not handicaps or poverty per se that cause the difficulties, but rather it is the interpretation of these experiences based largely on the messages received from significant others around the child that causes the difficulties. Poverty, in and of itself, is not harmful. However, there is a tendency for people in general to interpret poverty as dreadful, ‘awfulizing’ the facts of poverty far beyond its reality. This ‘awfulizing’ is contagious. The same is true for a constitutional handicap, it can be interpreted in its direst form or accepted as a reality to be dealt with and overcome.
Given the above findings, it is apparent that many developmental risk factors are not disorder-specific, but may relate instead to a variety of maladaptive thoughts that are supported or disputed by the ecosystem surrounding the child. The notion of using specific balanced and rational memes to promote thinking provides the basis for cultural restructuring.
Protective factors and their operation
Protective factors are variables that reduce the likelihood of maladaptive outcomes under conditions of risk. Although less is known about protective factors and their operation at least three [03] broad domains of protective factors have been identified.
- The first domain includes characteristics of the individual such as cognitive skills, social-cognitive skills, temperamental characteristics, and social skills.
- The second domain is comprised of the quality of the child’s interactions with the environment. These interactions include secure attachments to parents and attachments to peers or other adults who engage in positive health behaviors and have prosocial values.
- A third protective domain involves aspects of the mesosystem and exosystem, such as school-home relations, quality schools, and regulatory activities. Similar to risk factors, some protective factors may be more malleable and thus, more effective targets for prevention.
Coie et al. suggested that protective factors might work in one or more of the following four [04] ways:
- directly decrease dysfunction;
- interact with risk factors to buffer their effects;
- disrupt the mediational chain by which risk leads to disorder;
- or prevent the initial occurrence of risk factors.
By specifying links between protective factors, positive outcomes, and reduced problem behaviors, prevention researchers may more successfully identify relevant targets for intervention. However, the development of rational and balanced thoughts concerning what is happening around you substantially buffers the potential for dysfunction as well as disrupting the mediational chain by with risk leads to disorder. By enhancing the balanced and rational thinking of the child managers, one reduces the negative messages and nonconscious reinforcements that may contribute to the disorder itself.