CUSTOMIZING MY EMOTIONAL SPIN CYCLE:
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
BY ALYSSA CHUN
PSYCH 459—FALL 2001—G15
DR. LEON JAMES, INSTRUCTOR
T A B L E
O F C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION
PROJECT OVERVIEW
EMOTIONS
FEELINGS
THREEFOLD-SELF
HEIRACHY OF MOTIVES
The emotional
spin cycle is a cycle in which every individual encounters every day. It is a cycle that consists of both positive
and negative feelings that lead to thoughts, resulting in actions. Because there is no one particular
definition for emotions, feelings, the threefold-self, and the hierarchy of
motives, and they are all intertwined in relation to each other and the
emotional spin cycle, in this report I will cite various quotes, tables,
graphics, and accounts from actual people that pose various theories and views
which will help us to understand each of them a little better. Theses sources are derived from generational
curriculum, news media, websites, and articles to present an in-depth insight
into the individual’s emotional spin cycle.
Since the
emotional spin cycle is centered around both positive and negative feelings, leading
to thoughts, resulting in actions, many times we can modify our thoughts and
behavior through recognition and adaptation.
First, we need to recognize what sensations we experience when we
encounter a situation. Through
recognition we gain insight into our emotional spin cycle and once we are aware
of what we are “feeling” we can take the appropriate steps to change how we
think, act, and react to a variety of situations and events.
Because
this project is so complex, the following overview is derived directly from the
Instructions for Report 1, written by Dr. Leon James and will present a
detailed overview of this project.
|
Citation: “General Instructions for Your Research
Project.” Internet. 27 Sept. 2001. Available: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy15/g15reports-instructions.html “All individuals are socialized in accordance with cultural
norms. To be socialized means to acquire particular habits in the three areas
of human functioning: ·
habits of feeling (AFFECTIVE DOMAIN OF BEHAVIOR) ·
habits of thinking (COGNITIVE DOMAIN OF BEHAVIOR) ·
habits of acting (SENSORI-MOTOR DOMAIN OF BEHAVIOR) Every
individual has a threefold-self in which the three parts function together,
yet each can be distinguished and isolated for observation and
self-modification. The
threefold-self has two arenas to function in. One is the arena of
"others" (or the world out there), and the second is the arena of
"self." These two arenas--Others and Self--each require their own
particular way of functioning. The arena of others is referred to as
"the red zone" and the arena of self as "the blue zone."
Every day individuals have to function in both zones since they have to deal
with others (red zone) and with oneself (blue zone). The two zones (red and blue) can be either negative or
positive. For instance, rage is in "the negative red zone" because
it is the feeling of anger against someone or thing. Compassion is in
"the positive red zone" because it is the feeling of tolerance and
caring for someone or thing. Similarly, "the negative blue zone"
includes depression and self-destructive behavior since these are negative
feelings towards the self. "The positive blue zone" includes
feelings of self-mastery and satisfaction since these are positive feelings
towards the self. The
content of the 4 zones and 12 settings are: Zone
1 (negative red) = Feeling rage-anger (setting 1) coupled with impaired
thinking (2) lead to aggressive behavior (3) Zone
2 (negative blue) = Feeling depression (setting 4) coupled with pessimistic
thinking (5) lead to self-destructive behavior (6). Zone
3 (positive blue) = Feeling self-mastery and self-satisfaction (setting 7)
coupled with optimistic thinking (8) lead to self-enhancing behavior (9). Zone 4 (positive red) = Feeling zeal or compassion (setting
10) coupled with emotionally intelligent thinking (11) lead to supportive and
constructive behavior (12).
Individuals need to recognize their emotional spin cycle in
order to control it or customize it to their preference. The coping and
successful person learns to control their spin cycle. Today, the majority of
people report daily feelings of anger and depression, which means most
individuals are stuck in the negative zone (settings 1 to 6) for too long
each day. There is a habitual and automatic flip-flop effect between zone 1
(settings 1 to 3) and zone 2 (settings 4 to 6). After being active in the
rage zone against others, individuals find themselves automatically sliding
into the rage zone against the self, which is a state of depression. This
rage-depression flip-flop is a sociogenic habit that results from
socialization.” |
“Students Must
Express Themselves” is an article that acquaints us with the problems that are
arising in schools today throughout America.
This article ascertains that many of these problems stem from the
actions that schools and educators take upon children for expressing their
emotions. After really thinking about
this article, it makes some sort of sense.
Children should not be expected to repress and be punished for their
emotions all the time since it may be detrimental to the child. But disagreeing with the article, I think
that children do need to be able to control outbursts of negative emotions
under certain circumstances. The
article suggests ways in which educators and school systems may control these
emotions by placing children into a “quiet room” to express their feelings and
emotions. I think that is only a
temporary solution to an ongoing problem.
I think that parents and educators need to provide more competent
counseling techniques to rather modify behavior problems than just deal with
them. Sometimes children do need to be
punished for their actions and more discipline should be taken if the problem
is a serious one or the child will continue to act in a destructive manner.
|
Citation: “Students Must Express Themselves.”
Internet. 8 Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.gazettenet.com/09072001/opinion/6140.htm “I've listened to every
complaint in the book, expressed by friends and by pundits my grandmother
used to refer to irreverently as "the high mucky-mucks." She meant
the stuck-in-the-mud-of-academe, fearful-of-change administrators, who
stoically ignore the real pain and distraction students experience trying to
deal with youthful emotions. For those adults who hold on most tightly to the
fear of change, the warning bell continues to ring loud and clear. A headline in "Valley
Kids" this month warns, "Teachers report deteriorating
behavior." Elementary school students are threatening arson, throwing
furniture, punching and kicking other students, screaming obscenities at
teachers, refusing to participate in class, and engaging in other disruptive
behavior. The article features a teacher's report on these problems that are
detracting from learning time. She estimates that "dealing with
disruptive behavior takes up to an hour each day," including time spent
"supervising the 'quiet room' where children go when they need to calm
down." Our educational system was
built, in part, upon the foundation of the "correctness" of
punishing children for expressing their emotions. Thankfully, knuckle-rapping
and suffering the lash at whipping posts are considered illegal acts today.
But society still has a long way to go in addressing all the parts that
comprise the whole student. The traditional focus on the
militaristic-style training, and competitive testing of the mind, demands
first that students repress all their burgeoning emotions. Daily mandatory
repression fuels self-rejection, foments insensitivity, and hinders the
establishment of healthy relationships. Some kids can't achieve a holistic
sense of self when they're forced to shatter their identities and toss their
feelings up on a shelf until the bell rings at the end of each school day. If
traditional values must be maintained by force, they have no value. Penalties, like detentions
and "time-outs," foster passive avoidance of the individual
problems causing emotional outbursts. These punitive innovations, designed by
and for adults to silence the voices of youth, do not engender emotional
strength. Forced repression of emotions interrupts many students' receptivity
to new ideas, and ultimately translates into acts of
"insubordination." (Why are military terms still being used in
reference to children?) Students need a safe place
to express themselves, to let go of their anger and grief, even during school
hours. Adults need to define and teach kids realistic methods for achieving
emotional strength. If we can't do that for this generation, many more
students will continue to rebel against educators by choosing psychologically
unhealthful, and chemically-induced methods to achieve mandatory suppression
of their emotions.” “Punishing kids in military
fashion for being emotional beings still isn’t working.” |
I chose the
following article because out of all my research, this article gives the best
definition of emotions and feelings. It
explains in detail what emotions and feelings are, how they originate, and how
they are acted upon. “Understanding
Your Feelings” also comprises various myths and facts of emotions and feelings
and also accentuates key points involved in the emotional spin-cycle
process. This article in short,
explains exactly what the emotional spin cycle is, the various thoughts,
feelings, and actions associated it with it, and how we achieve these states.
|
Citation: “Understanding Your Feelings.” Internet. 8 Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.johnfishbein.com/feelbetterfast/fishbein/prin1.html GENERAL
INFORMATION “Every thought that goes
through your mind, whether conscious or unconscious, sends an important
message to the body, which triggers a wave of internal motion (increased
heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and muscle intensity). These
internal, physical/chemical MOTIONS within the body are commonly felt and
referred to as "eMOTIONS." Emotions are like a stream that is
constantly flowing in each of us twenty-four hours a day. Sometimes the
motion or flow is calm and tranquil; other times it is rapid and turbulent.
Regardless of the nature of your stream of emotion at any given time,
you--not the stream itself--make the decisions of what to think and how to
act. Although it may not always seem like it, your behavior is controlled by
the decisions you make, not by how you are feeling. When you are upset, the
agitation you feel in your body is the result of your mind triggering the
release of chemicals, such as adrenaline, into your system (stream). On the
other hand, when you think rational and happy thoughts, chemicals such as
endorphins are released, causing you to feel good. Unreasonable
thinking--whether conscious or unconscious--pollutes the stream of emotion,
thereby causing unpleasant feelings. Those feelings, like toxic chemicals
dumped into a stream, eventually pass. How long it takes for them to pass, of
course, depends on how long you continued to think unreasonably. I am frequently asked,
"How can a person control or get rid of undesirable feelings?" I
often answer with the following question: "If you were camping by a
stream and accidentally spilled gasoline into the water, what would you
do?" Certainly, you would not jump into the stream and try to scoop the
gas out. Nor would you chop down a tree to build a dam across the stream.
Neither would you pretend the spill did not occur. How then would you deal
with the gas spill? You would probably simply acknowledge you made a mistake,
take precautions to avoid similar mistakes in the future, and perhaps warn
the campers downstream to avoid swimming in the water till the spill passes.
And it will pass! A similar response is
appropriate when you are feeling upset. Rather than ignoring or fighting
upset feelings, simply acknowledge that they exist. Then look at yourself and
the situation and decide what action, if any, to take. Key Point: When upsetting or toxic thoughts cause you to feel upset, the
feelings will eventually pass as your thinking and behavior gets back on
track DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR
AND EMOTION
It is easy to confuse
emotional behavior, which is best controlled within some reasonable bounds,
with emotion, itself. Although behavior such as fighting or fleeing may
express emotion, it is not emotion itself. Emotion, for the most part, is
simply the body's internal reaction to what is going on in the mind.
It occurs internally as opposed to behavior which is external. There is a distinct
difference between the appropriate control of emotional behavior (controlling
what you say or do when you feel angry) and the counterproductive attempt to control
emotion (ignoring or fighting the feeling of anger). Although struggling to
control the stream of emotion may seem natural, it is healthier to focus on
and control the thoughts and actions that direct the stream, rather than
focusing on the stream itself. A DAMMED MISTAKE
Many people, when they are
upset, make a common mistake. They futilely attempt to control, fight, or
eliminate the stream of emotion. This results in the creation of a dam that
blocks the natural flow of emotion, thereby causing unpleasant feelings to
grow in magnitude and intensity. Rather than simply acknowledging whatever
unpleasant emotions you are experiencing and finding a way to better manage
yourself or your circumstances, you end up with compounded or dammed
feelings. If you feel angry about something and then clog up your emotions,
you end up with dammed anger in addition to the initial anger. CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS THOUGHTS
Your mind contains billions
and billions of thoughts or pieces of information stored in the form of words
or pictures. The thoughts you are aware of are referred to as conscious
thoughts; they account for approximately 15% of mental activity. The other
85% of mental activity generally occurs without your awareness. The
unconscious part of your mind automatically regulates breathing, heart rate,
body temperature, digestion, etc. THE STREAM OF EMOTION
Your unconscious mind also
contains everything you have learned or experienced. It is like a great
library containing vast quantities of information--some brain researchers
suggest up to as many as 50 billion pieces of information. Of course, not
every piece of information is readily available for recall, but each is
nevertheless permanently recorded. Situations, emotions, and
conscious thoughts can trigger unconscious tapes or patterns of thinking.
When you are driving an automobile, for example, and the highway situation
changes, a tape containing everything previously learned about driving is
triggered in your mind. This tape allows you to automatically speed up, slow
down, or do whatever is necessary to safely meet the situation. This most
likely occurs instantaneously, without any conscious thought or effort. Your
conscious mind could even be involved with something entirely different, such
as listening to the radio or daydreaming. Your mind has many tapes
like the one for driving, each containing valuable information or resources
for effective living. Sometimes, however, these tapes and the solutions they
contain seem to become forgotten and remain untapped. Other tapes contain
outdated information, useful in the past but no longer applicable. Yet in
some cases these tapes are silently interfering with current success and
happiness. Still other tapes contain incomplete or irrational information
causing unpleasant feelings and undesirable behavior. Some tapes are so
powerful they can negatively interfere with your life, sometimes without you
even being aware of the tape or of what it contains. EMOTION—KEY TO THE MIND
How can you unlock the door
to the vast library of learning contained in your mind? There is a key. Since
every conscious or unconscious thought triggers a physical/chemical
sensation, those emotions--pleasant or unpleasant--provide valuable feedback
to what is going on in your mind. By learning to observe and use emotional
information, you will discover better ways of managing yourself. Key Point: Your emotions are caused primarily by what goes on in your
mind, not by any external situation. Likewise, what you do is determined by
your mind, not by the emotions that may precede or accompany the behavior. PURPOSE OF EMOTION
The primary purpose
of emotion is to provide valuable information about what is going on in your
mind--particularly your unconscious mind. If you feel peaceful, for instance,
there is a good chance your thoughts are rational and productive; however, if
you are feeling agitated, something in your mind probably needs attention. Second, emotions provide important information
about your behavior. If you are feeling calm, your behavior is likely to be
purposeful and on track with your goals and values; on the other hand,
uncomfortable feelings or agitation may be an internal indicator suggesting
the need for careful examination of your behavior. Third, emotions can provide useful clues
about your physical health. If you are getting enough rest, proper nutrition,
and regular exercise you will tend to feel well. Otherwise, your body may be
telling you, via your emotions, to take better care of yourself. Fourth, emotions can provide helpful
information about your relationship with the Lord. When you are close to the
Lord and in harmony with Him, you will tend to feel better and more peaceful
than when you are further away. When you are generally
feeling well--with the usual emotional ups and downs--your thoughts, actions,
physical health, and spirituality are most likely within reasonable
guidelines and in balance. Intense or frequent emotional pain, however,
usually suggests that some area of your life could benefit from attention and
improvement. By paying attention to and understanding the important messages
your body provides through emotion, you will gain greater self-mastery and
happiness. When looked at in this manner, pain has a purpose and can be
viewed constructively as "growing pain," rather than as a feared or
hated enemy.
Important Point: Emotion is primarily caused by what goes on in your mind,
not by the situation that may have triggered the thoughts. Likewise, you
behavior is caused by what occurs in you mind, not by the emotions that may
precede or accompany the behavior.” |
The following
article presents the relationship between feelings and emotions and
health. I chose this article because I
found it to be very interesting. It
presents various studies on people with feelings of negativity and optimism and
how these feelings and their actions or reactions to these feelings correlate
to a toll on their health. It also
provides ways in which we can deal with our feelings and emotions in a healthy
way as to avoid health repercussions.
The studies found that the majority of people who are optimistic are
usually healthier than those who are pessimistic. The study also indicates that pessimism, may in fact, cause
various illnesses and diseases.
However, this article is not very accurate because it does not focus on
other factors such as biological or environmental factors that may predetermine
certain illnesses and diseases.
|
Citation: “Good Feelings Vs. Bad Feelings: Do They Make A Difference For Your
Health?” Internet. 27 Sept. 2001. Available: http://www.bodymindhelp.com/feelings.htm “The
connection between emotions and well-being is accepted more and more, even
within the traditional, conventional medical establishment. But there is
still controversy over just how that link operates, and how to change it when
necessary.” “One theory that more clinicians and
researchers are embracing is that the nature of the emotion is not what
counts. Rather, it is the full expression and resolution of those emotions. A
consistent finding in cancer, for instance, is that those patients with the
poorest prognosis are typically those who repress all emotions, who
apparently are unmoved by the threat of death, and who maintain a calm,
"sunny" face, and never appear upset by anything.
This view of emotions starts with the idea that
certain feelings--rage, joy, fear, grief--are innate. More important, there
is a reason you are born with the capacity to have these feelings. From this
perspective, all strong emotions have a survival value, and you ignore or
repress them at your peril. As a psychologist, of course, I don't find this
point of view very radical. I typically see cases of anxiety or depression
where the underlying problem is suppression or repression of legitimate
feelings.
The thinking in psychoneuroimmunological
research takes this a step farther, however. Not only does repressing
feelings lead to psychological problems, it can make you sick, and once you
are sick, it makes it more difficult for you to get well. Free expression of
emotions, on the other hand, has at least two effects. Feelings of fear,
grief and anger can motivate you to do something about whatever is wrong; and
expressing and dealing with them has a direct impact on your body's ability
to fight the disease.”
Better, but still not optimal, is the
expression of feelings without resolving them. As we have seen there are
studies that show that, in the short term, expression of any emotion can have
an immediate, favorable impact on the immune system. But if all you do is
express them, you have not finished the job. If they are not resolved in some
way, they will return, over and over again. That's a pretty good working
definition of chronic stress, and by now we all know what that does to your
immune system.
The best approach is to: (a) allow yourself to
be aware of all of your emotions; (b) allow yourself to express them freely;
and (c) use your brain to figure out what to do about those feelings.
Now, expressing feelings freely does not have
to mean yelling, screaming, or breaking things. It does mean acknowledging
them, not only to yourself, but to other people. It does mean allowing
yourself to cry, if you need to. Interestingly, researchers have found that
the chemical composition of tears cried in an emotional situation differs
from the composition of the tears you shed when you get something in your
eye. It is as if those emotional tears were de-toxifying your system in some
very physical way.”
“Deadliest is the denial of feelings. Earlier
research attempts to identify a "cancer personality" sprang from
the common observation that people who suppress the expression of emotion
seem to have cancer more often, and are more likely to die from it. Within psychology,
it is fairly well accepted that suppression of anger is tied to several
somatic complaints.”
|
“Function
Without Structure” analyzes various early psychological theories about feelings
and emotions. Each theory proposes a
different viewpoint on how we move through each stage of the emotional spin
cycle and why we act or react to each of these stages. I thought this article was interesting
because it gives such a wide range of diversity to the origin of feelings and
emotions instead of just one constricted viewpoint.
|
Citation: “Function Without Structure.” Internet. 11
Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/499s98/jumetsu/choi1.htm Franz Brentano, the leading
phenomenologist--refers to any methodology that focuses on cognitive
experience as it occurs, without attempting to reduce that experience to its
component part--of the l9th century considered human emotions as extremely
important mental events. Brentano thought that human feelings and thoughts
intended something outside itself. Another phenomenologist, Edmund Husserl
considered the conscious experience must precede any other human knowledge.
Husserl discovered pure Phenomenology; a person turned inward instead
outward. Later, Husserl's philosophy became existential psychology. Martin Heidegger was one of
the leading existentialists who tried to restore the importance of human
feeling and choice. Heidegger believed that, in ourselves, everything can be found.
Heidegger used the term "dasein" which meant being in the world.
Our attitude and behavior often reflect our inner feelings, but, according to
Heidegger, the inauthentic people cannot show their inner feelings like the
authentic people do. Ludwig Binswanger used the term
"Weltanschauung" which meant world-design. According to Binswanger,
a person's world-design must be effective, for that person to control the
emotions of own. Binswanger thought that it was therapists' job to give the
clients to get a new world-view when their world-view is not effective. Rollo May thought that
neurotic anxiety occurred because of shutupness and self-alienation.
According to May, the healthy persons should follow free emotions so that
they don't get neurotic anxiety or feel guilty. Abraham Maslow was the man
who was responsible for the new branch of psychology, the Third-force
psychology or Humanistic psychology. Like any other existentialists he
stressed the full range of human emotions although he once was trained to
become a behaviorist who didn't heavily emphasize on the process of mind. In
his hierarchy of need, Maslow considered the self-actualization as the
highest needs we would get. The rest of steps were all related to human
emotions: physiological needs (e.g., hunger, thirst, and sex); the safety
needs (e.g., protection from the elements, pain, and unexpected dangers); the
belonging and love needs (e.g., the needs to love and be loved, to share
one's life with a relevant other), the self esteem needs (e.g., to make a
recognizable contribution to the well-being of one's fellow humans); and,
finally, when all needs are satisfied, the self actualization can be
obtained. The key word was the satisfaction. The restraint for achieving the
satisfaction, he called a fear of self-knowledge or the Jonah complex. Carl
Rogers was the pioneer of the client-centered therapy which stressed the
importance of clients' emotions rather than transferring the therapists'
clinical knowledge to the clients. Rogers, like Rousseau, believed the
primacy of personal feelings was guides for action. Rogers might be one of
the most influential humanistic psychologists who greatly emphasized the
importance of human emotions. A person must be true to his or her own feeling
to become a congruent person. Rogers' terms, genuiness, unconditional
positive regard, and empathic understanding were related to human emotions,
the delicate, worthy, natural and unique traits of human beings. Not like
Rogers, George Kelly was more like an existential psychologist. For instance,
he used terms such as "constructive alternativism." Kelly's ideas
were restrictive and less optimistic; however, he was considered as a
humanistic psychologist. One of the interesting contributions by Kelly was
fixed-role therapy which client and therapist interacted as they were not
themselves but actors. |
“The Affective
Cognitive And Sensorimotor Domains At Work” cites accounts of specific traffic
incidents that students have encountered throughout the years and how all three
psychological domains of a driver work together within each specific incident
in relation to the emotional spin cycle.
I chose this article because the number of road rage incidents in the
United States seems to be increasing and I figured if people could recognize
and control their thoughts, feelings, and emotions behind the wheel, maybe
these incidents would decrease.
|
Citation: “The Affective Cognitive And Sensorimotor
Domains At Work.” Internet. 11 Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/459f96/cmachida/reports/report3.html “Although this example may be hard to visualize, it shows the
cyclical nature of these three domains. Negative feelings elicit negative
thoughts which in turn result in a negative reaction. This is the same for
positive feelings, thoughts, and actions. What makes this all so confusing is
that there may be so many feelings, thoughts, and actions going on at once, that
a specific pattern for an individual domain process may become too difficult
to single out. Thoughts and feelings may combine to form a certain reaction,
and certain reactions to external stimuli may combine to form specific
thoughts and feelings, etc.” |
The following
quote describes what feelings are, how to recognize, express, and manage
them. Although we know what we feel, it
is indeed difficult to actually define what a feeling is. Is it a sensation, an emotion, physical,
mental? According to the following
quote feelings start off as physical sensations, which then becomes a thought,
which produces an action. This may be
seen in zones 1-4 of the emotional spin cycle.
Whether positive or negative, these feelings are apparent in the first
setting of each zone of the emotional spin cycle. This article is quite helpful because it recommends therapeutic
activities for feeling recognition, expression, and management of feelings.
|
Citation: “Feelings.” Internet. 9 Oct. 2001.
Available: http://www.npi.ucla.edu/mhdd/info/modules/feelings.htm “Many of us can easily name feelings: happy, sad, angry,
afraid, etc. But it’s harder to define what a feeling is. A feeling
can begin as a physical sensation, such as jittery stomach or racing heart.
Then it becomes a thought, with a labeling word, such as annoyed, or relaxed.
Feelings begin inside us.” |
The next
article “Ashamed of Your Feelings?” is actually a religious one. I chose it not because of its religious
connotations but because it offers a philosophical approach into what feelings
are and how to handle them more effectively.
It relates to the emotional spin cycle because it guides you through
zones 3 and 4 of the emotional spin cycle.
Because I am not a very religious person, I had a hard time
understanding this article because it was focused around how God could “bring
out the best in us” rather than how we can modify our own behavior. Not to say that God is not responsible for
actions…maybe he is. Although from a
psychological perspective, we can actually produce change by monitoring our own
thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions.
This article was helpful because it is very positive, hopeful, and
bestows incentive upon people to look on the “brighter side” of bad situations.
|
Citation: “Ashamed Of Your Feelings?” Internet. 9
Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.catholic-center.rutgers.edu/frronstanley/ashamed.html “Many of us find strong
feelings arising from within us, feelings that make us feel ashamed. It may
be a deep anger, or even hatred, towards a parent, a former friend, God, or
ourselves.. It may be a fear of failure or of an uncertain future. We may be
shocked and stunned by powerful lusts or compulsions. Or perhaps we are
secretly consumed with guilt, because of things we've done, or that have been
done to us. Often we are tempted to deny
and hide these unsolicited feelings, even from ourselves. We think that
admitting such negative feelings would make us bad people, so we try to
distance ourselves from them. Sometimes we try to bury our pain with alcohol,
sex, food, work, etc. But feelings which
spontaneously arise from deep within us are not morally good or bad;
they do not make us good or bad. We are not responsible for what we
spontaneously feel; we are only responsible for what we do with these
feelings. Feelings are echoes rising
from the depths of our souls. They offer an honest reading of our inner
selves. Oftentimes intense feelings are rooted in, and receive their energy
from, important, though perhaps "forgotten," past experiences. To deny our feelings is to
deny an important part of ourselves, to cut ourselves off from our roots.
These are our feelings, and we need to acknowledge and own them.” “Facing unpleasant feelings
can be painful, sometimes seemingly overwhelming. But denying or hiding
leaves these feelings festering within, poisoning our lives. When we repress
negative feelings, we give them power. We need to deal with what we feel
if we are going to heal.” “We can never win out over
our feelings. Eventually they are going to surface in our lives. The only
question is whether we will have the courage to let them surface in a healthy
way, or will default and allow them to surface destructively.” “Feelings that appear to be
monstrous, often lose much of their power once they are faced. The tale is
told of a woman who saw a monstrous shadow filling up the whole wall in front
of her. The horrible figure was so frightening that it took all of her
courage to finally turn and face the monster. When she did so, she saw that
what was casting this forbidding shadow was a tiny mouse standing in front of
a candle. Not exactly pleasant, but certainly not a life-threatening
monster.” |
The following
quote is taken from a report written by a student in a previous psychology
class. The quote defines the threefold
self, which is composed of the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor
domains. I chose this quote because it
provides a chart that is very easy to understand. The report is about an assignment in which the author used a self-witnessing
technique to recognize their thoughts, feelings, and actions in specific
situations.
|
Citation: “KRUPAT READING REPORT.” Internet. 11 Oct.
2001. Available: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409as97/atakahas/499/matayoshi.html “The main topic of study in Dr.
James class is the Threefold Self. The Threefold Self is what we are made up
of. It is three different mental states ranging from low to high. The low
level is referred to as the automatic self. The middle level is referred to
as the reflective self. The high level is referred to as the spiritual self.
There is also three categories in the make up of the Threefold Self. There is
the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor categories.
|
The following
article describes how people acquire and process information through
cognition. This is a very technical
article that states information can be seen two ways: as an object
that can be manipulated by technology; and as the outcome of social
interactions that create meaning in the minds of human beings. In this article,
Chun Wei Choo outlines a model of how people acquire and process information.
The three basic steps are determination of information needs, information
seeking and information use, each of which can be considered in terms of
cognitive, emotional and situational factors. Information needs arise when
people experience cognitive gaps that hinder their progress and induce
uncertainty. To bridge these, they must seek good, accessible information
sources. The way they use the information acquired depends upon their
personality, organizational culture and emotional factors such as the desire to
preserve group identity. If we can understand the social aspects of information
we will be able to design better information systems.
|
Citation: “Closing The Cognitive Gaps: How People Process Information.” Internet.
8 Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.nationalpost.com/features/fpmastering/082101story2.html “We often
see information described as a resource. This implies that information is a
thing that resides in documents, information systems or other artifacts. The
information is assumed to be constant, unchanging. Its meaning is fixed by
its representation in the artifact. A
complementary view is to look at information not as an object but as the
outcome of people constructing meaning out of messages and cues. Information
resides not in artifacts but in individuals' minds. Individuals actively
create the meaning of information through their thoughts, actions and
feelings. When
we treat information as an object, we are concerned with how to acquire the
information that we need, and how to represent the information that we have
in order to make it easier to use. When we treat information as constructed
by people, we are concerned with understanding the social and behavioural
processes through which it is created and used. The social settings in which
information is encountered determine its value. A fuller understanding of
information-seeking as social behaviour helps us design better information
processes and information systems. As
shown in Figure 1, we can divide information-seeking into three processes:
experience of information needs, information-seeking, and information use. In
this article we will examine the cognitive, affective (emotional) and
situational factors that influence each of these processes.” “A person moves through space
and time, taking steps through experiences. As long as he or she can make
sense of these experiences, movement ahead is possible. But from time to
time, movement is blocked by the perception of a "cognitive gap" --
a situation that the person is unable to make sense of. To bridge this gap,
the person seeks information to make new sense so that he or she can continue
the journey.” “Cognitive needs are as much
felt as thought about. When sense runs out, the lack of understanding creates
uncertainty. Carol Kuhlthau of Rutgers
University, N.J., has found that uncertainty causes anxiety,
apprehension, confusion, frustration and lack of confidence, among other
symptoms. These affective states in turn direct the way people seek and use
information. Affective
responses influence, and are influenced by, individuals' ability to construct
meaning, to focus on what information they need, to manage moods and expectations,
and to feel personal interest in the search. People cope with the stress of
uncertainty in different ways. Research into health information-seeking by Tom Wilson at Sheffield University
contrasts "monitors", who prefer high levels of information to cope
with stressful events, with "blunters," who prefer less
information. At
the situational level, information needs arise from the problems,
uncertainties and ambiguities encountered in specific contexts and
experiences. These relate not just to the subject matter, but also to such
things as whether objectives are clear and agreed upon, the magnitude of
risk, the amount and structure of control, professional and social norms,
time and resource constraints, and so on. As
a result, the determination of information needs must not stop at asking
"What do you want to know?" but must also address questions such
as: "Why do you need to know it?" "What does your problem look
like?" "What do you know already?" "What do you
anticipate finding?" and "How will this help you?" Susan
MacMullin and Robert Taylor of Syracuse University, N.Y., suggest that
Experiencing information needs may lead to information-seeking. This resembles
a problem-solving or decision-making process. An individual identifies
possible sources, selects which ones to use, locates or makes contact with
them, and interacts with them to obtain the desired information. In
today's rich information environment, where human attention is a scarce
resource, how do people allocate time and energy when searching for
information? Research suggests that they weigh the amount of effort required
to use a source against its anticipated usefulness. This cost/benefit
evaluation is affected by the individual's personal interest and motivation,
and by the complexity of the task at hand. At
the cognitive level, an individual selects a source that he or she considers
most likely to provide relevant, usable and helpful information. Relevance
and usability in turn may depend upon how up-to-date and comprehensive the
information is. Another important factor is the perceived reliability of the
source. Research into information-seeking often groups some or all of these
attributes under the rubric of "perceived source quality" in order
to examine their effect on source use. At
the affective level, an individual's personal interest in a problem
determines the amount of energy he or she invests in seeking information.
Carol Kuhlthau has noted that as information searches progress, initial
feelings of uncertainty and anxiety fall as confidence rises. If a clear
theme is developed to focus the search, the individual may become more highly
motivated. Drawing
on social learning theory, Tom Wilson argues that since a feeling of personal
mastery about using a source leads to greater use of that source, doubt about
one's ability to use a source would conversely lead to that source not being
used. This may be the case even if the source is perceived to contain
relevant information. Selection
and use of sources is influenced by the amount of time and effort required to
locate, contact and interact with them. At least three different kinds of
effort or costs may be pertinent: physical effort (to travel to the source,
say); intellectual effort (for example, to learn a classification system or
computer application); and psychological effort (for example, to deal with an
unpleasant source). These
situational attributes can be bundled together as "perceived source
accessibility." The selection of sources then depends on their perceived
quality and perceived accessibility. Other factors that influence
information-seeking are the complexity of the task and environment. A task
with many interdependent elements which interact unpredictably may require
broader information gathering and processing. Similarly, a volatile external
environment may necessitate more information scanning. Just
as there are eight categories of information need, Brenda Dervin and Robert
Taylor propose that there are eight general categories that describe how
people use information: to develop a context; to understand a particular
situation; to know what to do and how to do it; to get the facts about
something; to confirm another item of information; to project future events;
to motivate or sustain personal involvement; and to develop relationships and
enhance status or personal fulfilment. An
individual's cognitive style and preferences affect the way he or she
processes information. A number of classifications have been developed to
differentiate personality types and cognitive preferences. A widely used
method is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Another
common cognitive style variable is "field dependence."
Field-dependent individuals respond uncritically to environmental cues,
whereas field-independent people orientate themselves correctly in spite of
environmental cues. Daniel Kahneman (Princeton University) and
Amos Tversky (Stanford University, Calif.) have discovered that when people
use information to make judgments, they take cognitive shortcuts to make the
information easier to process. Unfortunately, these simplifications are
fallible.” “At the affective level,
people avoid using information that will arouse strong, negative emotions in
others or in themselves. People use information selectively to avoid
embarrassment, conflict or regret; to maintain self-image; and to enhance
personal status or reputation.” |
The following
excerpt describes how depression starts and how to change these thoughts
through cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.
This relates to the emotional spin cycle because it states how cognitive
theorists argue that self deprecating thoughts like those in zone 2 lead to
depression and may be modified into zone 3 of the emotional spin cycle. I really liked this article because I know
that I have experienced these thoughts every now and then—as a matter of fact,
I think a lot of people have. I think
that cognitive behavior therapy is a good solution to modifying many types of
behavior—not just depression.
|
Citation: “Think Yourself Out Of Depression: The
Cognitive Model.” Internet. 11 Oct. 2001. Available: http://www11.cnn.com/HEALTH/9906/25/depression/ “The cause of your depression
may be your own irrational and self-defeating thoughts, according to the
principles of CBT. ("Cognitive" simply refers to thoughts, ideas or
the ability to process information.) By the same token, the way to pull out
of the depression is to change the way you think.” “When people become clinically
depressed, CBT theorists argue, they're usually tormenting themselves with
unproved, exaggerated, self-deprecating thoughts. They may not be aware of
them, but these thoughts fuel the depression, nevertheless. For example, the
depressed individual may think, "I got passed over for the job, so I
must be a total flop in life. I'll never get a promotion now -- in fact, I'll
probably never get anywhere in life!" This kind of exaggerated,
all-or-nothing thinking leads to the feeling we call depression. Cognitively oriented therapists
help depressed and anxious people challenge these irrational ideas, and
replace them with more constructive ones, such as, "It's certainly
unfortunate that I got passed over for the job, but it's not the end of the
world. It doesn't mean I'm not a worthwhile person or that I'll never get a
promotion." In addition to changing thoughts, CBT aims at changing
behavior. For example, someone who constantly avoids asking people out might
be given a CBT homework assignment like inviting somebody out to dinner or a
movie. (Some therapists might even instruct the patient to get rejected
deliberately -- just to learn that it's really not the end of the world!)” |
“Orders
of Value” is a very interesting article that conveys an extensive perspective
on the value orders of society by definition, cognitive schemas, strips,
culture, and nations. I was amazed at
the divergence in views of orders among nations. What is correct? What is
wrong? It varies across cultures,
depending on society. This article
ascertains that values and morals alike are shaped solely around the society
that the individual lives in. However,
it excludes other factors such as biological needs, and self-actualization as
Maslow states in his hierarchy of needs.
|
Citation: “Orders of Value.” Internet. 8 Oct. 2001.
Available: http://www.transparencynow.com/news/valueorders.htm “Underlying all forms of credit
and discredit are the orders of value that can be found in individuals,
groups of people and nations.” “All societies, indeed, all
people who are conscious have a value system like this, which is embedded in
cognitive schemas in the mind. No two schemas are identical, although there
are significant similarities within groups, which helps gives those groups
their identity. There may also be significant differences between groups.” “We can create a systematic
description orders of value by describing them as systems of emotions, ideas
and predispositions to action that allow and require certain things, telling
us we must and can do or not do.” “The moral order thus tells
people what they are expected to credit and discredit when they engage in any
kind of communications.” “To the extent that people
share these schemas, they form a group, based on similar characteristics.
Since many people in America share certain values, these can be said to form
a value order; values shared by smaller groups can be said to form suborders
if they have much in common with the larger order.” |
Contradicting
the above article, “Universal Good And Bad Actions: Black And White Moral Absolutes” maintains that morals and values
do not vary according to opinion, person to person, generation to generation,
or from culture to culture. This
article articulates that values are basically black and white. If the chosen action purposely benefits the
human organism or society is morally good and right; and if any chosen action
that purposely harms the human organism or society is morally bad and
wrong. The problem I found with this
article is what happens if the societies that individuals live in are
completely opposite of each other?
Would they have different morals and values? It does state that good or bad is a matter of person preference
determined by individual differences, which is the key.
|
Citation: “Universal Good And Bad Actions: Black And White Moral Absolutes.” Internet. 10 Oct. 2001.
Available: http://www.neo-tech.com/advantages/advantage5.html “Rational
or good actions increase prosperity, happiness, and psychuous pleasures.
Irrational or bad actions undermine those values. While each individual's
life and values are unique,
certain basic actions never change in terms of good or bad actions. The
rightness or wrongness of those basic actions do not vary according to
opinion, or from person to person, or from generation to generation, or from
culture to culture, or from solar system to solar system. Universally good or
bad actions are objectively based on the biological nature of human beings
and are definable in absolute terms. But other actions are amoral and cannot
be judged in terms of good or bad because they are a matter of personal
preference determined by individual differences. Universal
morals are objective. They are not based on opinions of the author or anyone
else. Universal morals are not created or determined by anyone. No one can
deem what is moral and what is not moral. The same moral standards exist for
each and every human being throughout all locations, cultures, and ages.
Those standards are independent of anyone's opinions or proclamations.
Moreover, two and only two black-and-white moral standards exist. Those two
moral standards are: 1.
Any
chosen action that purposely benefits the human organism or society is
morally good and right. 2.
Any
chosen action that purposely harms the human organism or society is morally
bad and wrong. Feelings
and emotions, on the other hand, cannot be considered as standards, absolutes,
or morals. A person's life-style, desires, needs, and preferences can vary
greatly without altering that person's character or without making that
person morally right or wrong. Still, moral absolutes do exist. And following
or violating moral absolutes determines a person's character and self-esteem.
The two moral absolutes essential for prosperity and happiness are: 1.
Integrated
honesty for knowing reality 2.
Integrated
efforts for increasing productivity Habitually
violating either of those two moral absolutes precludes genuine prosperity
and happiness. Related to those absolutes are the following moral issues: Honesty Objective
morals are based on reality, reason, logic. Subjective "morals", on
the other hand, are based on unreal, arbitrary feelings or wishes. All such
unreal "morals" require force, deception, or coercion to impose
them on others. Subjectivism, mysticism, existentialism, and "do your
own thing" are all attempts to deny objective morals by implying that no
standards exist and everything is of equal value (thus denying objective
morals and values).” |
The following
excerpt was taken from another report entitled “Tailgating And The Warrior
Mentality”. This report focuses on
several aspects of tailgating such as its psychological impact, its moral
implications, and also its spiritual implications. The author discusses tailgating accounts and experiences from
past psychology students. Is tailgating
morally wrong? According to the author,
because tailgaters often do not receive punishment or negative reinforcement,
tailgaters infringe on the rights of other drivers, showing a lack of ethics
and morals, which leaves the tailgater in zone 1 of the emotional spin
cycle. If, however, the tailgater
entered zone 4 of the emotional spin cycle, they would not be tailgating in the
first place.
|
Citation: “Tailgating And The Warrior Mentality.”
Internet. 10 Oct. 2001. Available: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/459f96/cmachida/reports/report2.html “When the driver begins to
tailgate, maybe even by mistake during his first time, if the driver gets
away with it without suffering any negative consequences, that driver will do
it again. Because no punishment or negative reinforcement is associated with
the tailgating behavior, that tailgater will continue to behave that way.
This tailgater is cognitively aware of their actions while tailgating yet
does not alter their behaviors. Not only does this infringe on the rights of
other drivers, it shows the lack of ethics and morals within that tailgater.” |
“Madness
Behind The Wheel” is an article about road rage. It refers to a number of driving incidents that resulted in acts
of some sort of violent behavior. In
this article, the author explains how we need to modify our behavior from zone
1 to zone 4 of the emotional spin cycle when driving and not let other drivers
upset us. The author offers
constructive ways in which to handle these feelings of rage such as pulling
over and taking deep breaths to calm down.
This article also brings to light how annoying drivers can cause us to
act in violent ways of thinking and acting.
It also brings to light how silly and potentially dangerous our
reactions are to these incidents. I
chose the following quote because it takes morals into account and associates
them with driving situations and shows what is considered to be good and bad
driving morals. This relates to the
emotional spin cycle since our thinking is in a sense motivated by our morals,
and our actions by our thinking. The
first statement may be reflected in zones 1 and 2 of the emotional spin
cycle. The second statement may be
reflected in zones 3 and 4.
|
Citation: “Madness B |