Emotional Spin Cycle:
Data Collection and Analysis
April 10, 2005
By: Malia Tarayao
Dr. Leon James, Instructor
Contents:
I. Theory and Purpose of the Project
II. Data Collection and Analysis
1. The Threefold Self
2. The Design I used to collect my data
3. The Emotional Spin Cycle
4. The Rating Scales
5. The Record Sheets
6. About the Bridge Technique
III. Interpretation and Discussion
I.
Theory and Purpose of this Project
This is my first report for this Theistic Psychology of Spring 2005. The purpose of this report is to collect data from myself about my emotional spin cycle. I am to collect this data and analyze it after trying to use the bridge technique. This project will help me gain a better understanding of the bridge technique and it will give me a first hand look at how it works and it effects on my own behavior and attitude.
II. Data Collection and Analysis
1. The Threefold Self
The threefold self is made up of three domains of behavior that interact with each other within the self. These three domains are the Affective, Cognitive, and Sensorimotor. The Affective domain has to do with our feelings and motivations. The Cognitive domain has to do with our thoughts. The Sensorimotor domain has to do with our actions and sensations, the things we actually do.
These three domains do not function or operate on their own. They work together. This happens first starting with the affective domain where we have feelings towards something, which causes us to have thoughts about that certain thing, and finally we have actions that we do. Our actions cannot happen without first being thought about and even before that, being felt or having a motivation.
Before taking any of Dr. JamesÕ classes, I didnÕt know about the threefold self. I had never thought about how my emotions or feelings caused my thoughts, which in turn caused my actions. This is useful because if a person knows this, they will better be able to control their actions by catching any negativity that occurs in the affective or cognitive domains before it turns into negative actions.
I think this definitely fits myself as well as people that I know because we are able to be more in tune with our thoughts and feelings and we can understand where our behavior or actions are coming from.
In psychology this is also very beneficial because we are always trying to figure out what it is that causes certain behaviors of individuals. The concept of the threefold self is great because it allows us to understand that behaviors are coming from the affective and cognitive domains within each and every individual.
2. The design I used to collect my Data
The design that I used to collect my data was on where I was able to look at my behavior and make a record of it. When recording my feelings thoughts and behavior, I had to be completely honest and it made me see things in a way that I hadnÕt seen myself before.
Here is what I did; I chose two separate activities that I do on a regular day-to-day basis. One had to do with my negative attitude towards others and the world, while the other one had to do with my negative attitude towards myself.
The activities that I chose to do were, my water polo practices which had to do with negative attitude towards others and the world, and watching or monitoring what I eat on a daily basis which had to do with my negative attitude towards myself.
While doing this self assessment, I was able to see how I was defiantly in the red zone for my water polo practices because I had these attitudes and thoughts about others and the world, while in monitoring my eating, I was in the blue zone because it was all about me.
This was a very interesting experience for me making me realize how hard I am on myself as well as the attitudes that I sometimes have about others.
I was able to collect my data by keeping notes in a notebook that I had with me during the day. It was a little bit difficult to do this for my water polo practice because I was in the water and so I had to make notes after practice was over. However, I still feel that the notes were quite accurate.
It was a good experiment for me to participate in because I was able to look at the first 3 days of an activity as a baseline time and then see how much I was able to help myself through the next 3 days of monitoring the next week of the same activity. It was the same for activity B.
The baseline-intervention approach was great because I was really able to see the changes that need to be made from the first week and then see how I was able to do in the second week to see if I was able to use the bridge technique successfully.
The bridge technique is used for both the red and the blue zone. There is a red bridge as well as a blue bridge. The red bridge is used to cross over from negative towards others and the world to positive towards others and the world. The blue bridge on the other hand is used to cross over from negative towards self, to positive towards self.
It makes sense if you look at it like this; red is used for anger and rage (which are emotions used towards others and the world), which is the negative side of the bridge. However, red is also a symbol of love and passion (also towards others and the world), which is the positive side of the bridge.
On the other hand, when you think about being blue, that is an expression of being depressed or feeling inadequate. Blue represents the feelings one has towards the self. The negative side of the blue bridge is a state of depression and inadequacy while the positive side is a state of self-confidence and enthusiasm.
The bridge technique is used when we have any negative thoughts either in the red zone or the blue zone. If we are able to see that we are having negative thoughts, and we want to change that before they turn into negative actions, then we can use the bridge to cross over to positive thinking and feeling and eventually positive actions.
If however, we do not recognize these negative thoughts or we fail to want to make a change, we end up acting out in a negative or harmful manner. This not only is harmful to others in the red zone but also harmful to ourselves as we cultivate more negative feelings.
Before doing this project, I was not completely familiar with this technique but I had heard about it a little bit. I was aware of it however, I didnÕt really know about it in depth like I do now. I feel like before learning more about it and actually applying it to my life and real situations and activities, I thought about it sort of like just positive self talk, but I didnÕt know about the whole picture with the red and blue zones and the red bridge and the blue bridge.
I feel that it was a good experience and an eye opener for me to do the self-witnessing and try to use the bridge technique to better my attitude and behavior towards others and myself. I would like to be able to use this technique more often and truly better my character. It is something that I will have to consciously be aware of and consistently apply the bridge technique to my real life situations.
3. The Emotional Spin Cycle
The Emotional Spin Cycle is something that we deal with every single day. It is something that we need to be consciously aware of in each and every situation we come in contact with. The emotional spin cycle works with us in every aspect of the threefold self. This means that it has a part in our feelings, our thoughts, as well as our actions. The emotional spin cycle is most closely connected with out feelings, which is why it is termed the ÒemotionalÓ spin cycle.
The emotional spin cycle works within the four options. There are the two zones (Red and Blue) which both have a negative side and a positive side. The Red Zone refers to the negative and positive towards others and the world, while the Blue Zone refers to negative and positive towards the self.
The reason the word ÒSpinÓ is used is because it refers to how we are always going from our positive to negative emotions and back to positive. Our emotions are continuously changing and turning from one to another. This is why it is called a ÒCycleÓ. It is something that happens over and over again so the term cycle seems to fit perfectly in the Emotional Spin Cycle.
The emotional spin cycle is related to personality because how we think act and feel is all a part of the cycle. It is also a part of our personality. We are the ones who chose how we think and act which determines what kind of personality we have. It is our choice on what we want our personality to be and we can go through the emotional spin cycle to make any changes we feel are necessary to build the personality we want to have.
The emotional spin cycle is related to habits because if we have negative thoughts, feelings, or actions and we chose not to use the bridge technique to cross over to the positive option, then we start to develop these ÒhabitsÓ. These habits that we acquire can come from within our selves but also from being around people like our family and friends. We become accustomed to the way that people in our lives behave and therefore we pick up their habits. If they are bad ones and we do not use the bridging technique this can be very harmful.
In regards to gender differences in the emotional spin cycle, it is my opinion that women go through the spin cycle more regularly and more often. I think that in general, women are more likely to express their emotions and are more willing and likely to go through change. I think that women are also more likely to embrace their emotional tendencies and recognize any habits that are forming and any changes that need to be made. I think men tend to close off their emotions and not want to make any changes that may be necessary.
4. The Rating Scales
The Rating Scale that I used in collecting the data for my personal experiment was the Global Rating Scale. There were seven items that needed to be rated at the end of each day. I could give a score ranging from 1-10, 1 being very weak and 10 being extreme. These items were rating things that could have an effect on my emotions throughout the day. These were things that had to do with my stress level, my attitude towards myself, my attitude towards others, my coping ability, my outlook on the future, and my view on the negativity level of others.
I thought this was a good scale to use because it covered not only my views on myself but also of others. It was useful for me to see how my stress level and my ability to cope with my feelings affected my overall view of the day. I especially liked the last question because it showed me if I was affected by the negativity of others or if I was able to not let it get to me and overcome that obstacle.
It was also a very useful scale because I was able to see the difference between the baseline week and the intervention week when I was trying the bridge technique. It helped me to better see if I was able to be successful in my attempt to use the bridge technique to overcome the negativity that I was feeling.
I thought this scale was a great one and I canÕt think of another one that would have been any better or that would add to the effectiveness of the Global Rating Scale.
5. The Record Sheets
1. The record keeping that I did was in a notebook that I had with me each day. I was able to write down the thoughts and feelings and actions that I had during the time of the activities that I was evaluating. For the most part I think that they were pretty accurate. I know that I wasnÕt able to keep track of every single thought feeling or action that I did but I got the major ones.
One problem that I had that should be mentioned was that for my activity that I made records for my water polo practice was that I was in the pool and had to wait until after I got our of the water to record my feelings. This meant that I couldnÕt write down my thoughts or feelings as they were happening so I had to wait and record them by memory. Even with this problem, I think that my records were pretty accurate.
2. Here is an illustration of my record sheets:
Week 1: Observation Week
Activity A: Water Polo Practice (Negative Red)
Day 1:
Feeling: I feel inadequate
I feel unsure of myself
I feel like IÕve been treated unfair
I am irritated by other people
I feel jealous of othersÕ success
I am worried that I wonÕt get to play in the game
I feel physically tired
I my shoulders are in pain
I feel rage towards my coach and certain teammates
I feel hopeless
I feel like throwing a ball at someoneÕs face
Thinking: I think that I can do a better job than she can
I think if I work hard I can get my spot back
I think I should work hard for myself, not for others
I think it doesnÕt matter how hard I work, my coach is stubborn and wonÕt change his mind
I think I should rest my shoulders so they donÕt get worse
I think if I rest them, then I for sure wonÕt get to play
I hate water polo
Doing: I keep swimming
I keep doing the drills
I am a little more aggressive towards others
My shoulder hurts more
I finish practice
Global Ratings: (1) 4 (2) 7 (3) 7 (4) 5 (5) 5 (6) 3 (7) 8
Week 2: Intervention Week
Activity A: Water Polo Practice
Day 3:
Feeling: I feel content with the situation
I feel like I can be positive to make things better
I feel like relaxing
I feel like just enjoying my time
I feel confident
Thinking: I think my positive attitude can help others in my situation
I think that if there is no change, I can just accept it
I can make the best and enjoy myself
I think that without water polo I wouldnÕt have as many great friends as I do
I can work hard and know that I helped my team out
I can help other players become stronger by pushing them to succeed
I think I have had a good career
I feel confident
Doing: I wear my pink suit and it makes me happy
I swim hard and feel like IÕve accomplished something
I keep being aggressive because I know it helps whomever I am playing against for a real game situation
I stay positive
I encourage others
I cheer them on and tell them good job when they do something well
Global Ratings: (1) 2 (2) 8 (3) 7 (4) 8 (5) 8 (6) 8 (7) 7
3. My complete record sheets are at: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2005/tarayao/Records.htm
Please feel free to take a look at them.
6. About the Bridge Technique
For this report, I decided to apply the bridge technique to two separate activities; one activity that had to do with my feelings towards others and the world, and one activity that had to do with my feelings towards myself. I was able to apply this technique by first recognizing that I had I was having these negative thoughts or feelings, and then making the decision to use the bridge technique to get rid of these negative thoughts. By doing this, I was able to change my negative attitude into a positive one.
I think that the bridge technique was quite effective. In the intervention week, I noticed that although I was still having negative thoughts, I was able to acknowledge them and then make the effort to make a change in myself. Before doing this project I had been unaware of all of the negativity in my life and how I am able to change that negative energy into positive energy.
Although I felt that it was effective, I do think that the effects did vary with different days or activities. I sometimes had a hard time getting myself to think positively towards the world and others. I had to motivate myself to get rid of the negativity, which was extremely hard at times.
I think that I made it harder on myself than I needed to especially when I was having negative thoughts towards others. Sometimes I just feel like other people donÕt deserve to have my positive thoughts towards them because I donÕt agree with what they are doing. Then I realize that me having this negativity towards others is only hurting myself because I keep these emotions to myself and the other person doesnÕt even know about it.
I think that the biggest advantage of using the bridge technique is that it helps people to realize their potential and that they actually have more control of their life then they may think. It helped me to see that I have a choice every time to choose whether I want to be positive or negative. Its like I have to power to decide if I want to have a good day or a bad one. I think most everyone would choose to have the good day over a bad day.
If I were to teach this to someone else, I would definitely have them do the self-witnessing activity so they can see the difference that the bridge technique makes in their life. I think that people who already have a bit of positivity would be more successful at this concept because they would be more open to it. However, I think that someone who is more negative would be able to see the results better if they are willing to apply the bridge technique to their life.
I think that many people would want to see if this works, however, I also think that some would be skeptical about it and that they would not want to take the time or make the effort to try it out. It may be hard for some people because a person has to decide for himself that he wants to do it, no one else can do it for you.
III. Interpretation and Discussion
Through the results that I have obtained from doing this project, the overall pattern shows that I have control over my emotional spin cycle. I have the ability to choose whether I want to be positive or negative. If I notice that I am being negative, I can apply the bridge technique to turn my attitude around and be positive.
It is very beneficial because I am able to see the negative thoughts that I have and then I can turn positive before I act out any of these negative thoughts. There are so many times throughout any given day that I may be bombarded by the negativity within myself as well as the negativity that others around me have, but with the help of the bridge technique it isnÕt such a big deal because I am able to control my negative emotions.
This project has helped me to understand my threefold self better because I now see the relationship between my cognitive self and my affective self along with my sensorimotor self. It is good for me to know that as long as I can control my thoughts or cognitive self, my feelings and actions will also be taken care of.
We our actions come from our thoughts, and our thoughts are was we think about our feelings or affective self. Since we donÕt just act out things before thinking about them, we are able to better control our actions. If we are able to recognize the thought process we will be better able to make changes in our thoughts early so that we can have positive actions.
The four options diagram and vocabulary list were very helpful to me in this project. By looking at the notes on the four options diagram I was better able to see how the emotional spin cycle worked. I was able to see how negative thinking can be turned into positive thinking which in turn would lead to positive actions. It was good for me to be able to see the three levels (affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor) within each option. That helped my understanding.
This is definitely something that I can use in my life from now on. It is a great way to lead a positive, happy, and fulfilling life. It is a surefire way to change negativity into positivity and an easy way at that. It is hard at first especially if you are stubborn like me but once you get used to the idea of the bridge technique I think it becomes much easier. I hope to continue using this after I am finished with this course. I think that by using this technique I will be a more positive person and will be able to help others. It will be a great influence in my life.
Through this project I was able to discover that I have a weakness in blaming others even if I should be help responsible for my mood. I like to think that other people are in control of my happiness or sadness. That however is not the case. I can choose for myself which is a great blessing. I was also able to see that I have a strength for bouncing back and shaking things off.
I think this technique would definitely be very beneficial to some of my friends. I think I have friends who are like me in that they depend on others to determine if they are happy or not. They need to know that they have the power and ability to decide if they want to be happy and positive. I think it would be especially helpful to my teammates. Not only for my teammates but also for any athletes in general. I think that being an athlete can be very trying at times because a lot of sports are very mental games. If you donÕt have the bridge technique to lean on, it can be very hard to stay positive.
I think this would be a very good thing to teach in the workplace, especially for the red bridge technique. It would definitely help the productivity of many businesses. I also think that it would be great for any sports psychologists to know and teach to their clients.
G16 Forum Discussion
I think that the G16 students were able become more aware of the negativity that they encountered. It was great how many of them were able to look at the bright side of things and pick out the positive options instead of going back to their negativity. I know from experience that that can be troubling at times so I admire that. It was also nice that they were able to share their experiences with others to benefit the future generations with the knowledge and wisdom they shared.
References:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy16/g16reports-instructions.html
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy21/409b-g21-lecture-notes.htm#threefold-self
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2001/seino/report2.htm
My Home Page:
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2005/tarayao/home.htm
Class Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/classhome-g22.htm