KRUPAT READING REPORT
Introductions
This Krupat reading report is a class project for the
General Curriculum of Community-Classroom that is done on
an individual basis. The purpose of this project is to present
the self-witnessing method on the three-fold self as taught
from class lectures. The procedure of the report if to first
read Psychology is Social by Edward Krupat. After reading
the text the next step is to pick out one of the nine chapters
and concentrate on the issues using the self-witnessing
methods As you read through a particular chapter you are to
jot down specific sentences or paragraphs which you will use
to describe your reactions dealing with the ennead matrix.
The second step of the report is to go to the library and
look up related topics on the passages and report them in the
same method. The last step is to take all the information you
have and then discuss it with friends. The point to get
across is on how the two tables differ and what do they
indicate in regard to the topics, yourself, and the textbook.
In Psychology 222, Dr. James teaches us about the
self-witnessing method through the three-fold self. By knowing
the self-witnessing method you could better understand yourself
and others through your reactions and feeling through every-
day activities. The three-fold self consists of the nine
boxes or the ennead matrix. First of all, you have your
externalization process which consists of your affective (A),
cognitive (B), and sensorimotor (C) states. Externalization
goes from left to right on the ennead matrix. In your affective
state lies the unconscious part of you which is the goal-setting,
drive in life of the individual, values, needs or strives it
is your inmost self Also it i8 where your emotional and
intellectual awareness occurs. Your cognitive state is your
method planning state. It is the part where you are most conscious
of when you are aware of making decisions and reasoning
thoughts. The third state, which is also unconscious, is your
sensorimotor state that pertains to your senses or motor
movements. It is your external self that deals with your
actions of your everyday life. These three states work together
in order for an individual to function normally. For example,
if you see a book on the table and desire to look at it then
your affective state tells you that you want to see the book,
then your cognitive state will come up with a method to get or
pick up the book and finally your sensorimotor will actually
go and pick it up via use of your actions. Normally you do
not think about these three actions on an everyday basis but
through self-witnessing you become more aware of why and how you
do the things you do.
The internalization process which goes from bottom to
top on the ennead matrix consists of your natural (I), rational
(II), and spiritual (III) mind, in that order. The natural
mind is the 3-dimensional mind that deals with time and space.
It is also known as the automatic self meaning that your
mind works like a robot or computer and does things that the
rational and spiritual mind signals you to do or perform.
Your memorization, conditioning, and imagination stems from this
angle. Level two of the internalization process consists
of your rational mind which is also termed as your reflective
self. In this mind exists your higher reasoning capacity,
your causes and methods. Your knowledge of problem solving
and logical implications are inter grated from this mind.
From this also comes your reasoning function. The spiritual
mind or organizational mind is the third level of the internalization
process and it is the origin of your impulse
and drive. From it comes your rational truths or falsehoods,
your true and false principles.
Another lesson taught in Psychology 222 is the concept
of the positive and negative bias in science. This bias
also deals with the three-fold self because once you are
able to understand the positive and negative bias then you
will become more aware of yourself as an individual as well
as others as individuals. By the time that we are out of
high school we should be aware of what our purpose in life is,
meaning that we should know where we are heading by having
already set a goal in life and striving for only that main goal.
The goal is to determine what we will do for the rest of our
lives. The positive bias deals with confirmation and is
interdependent. This bias deals with the spiritual as
well as the reflective mind. The concepts in the positive
bias are either confirmed or not confirmed or either believed
in or not believed. Most of the concepts that we have are not
confirmed because of the way that e interpret the information
Most of the information is plugged into our minds through
what we see or hear from television, magazines or at her sources
of information. It is not confirmed because we heard it from
another source and we were not actually there to confirm it.
The negative bias is known in the reflective and automatic
mind. In science it is known as the "null hypothesis because
it is independent and assumes the "fair/unfair" qualities.
When you study the automatic self the activity is visible and
can be observed by a third person. With the breakdown of
stages I and II you end up with conflict, anxiety, fear, competition,
interference that is shown in the automatic self.
Results of Reading Textbook:
The procedure used in describing what I have read in the
text book comes from using the ennead matrix. With the ennead
matrix the task is to report your reactions on the high, mid.
and low levels on the matrix. Working from Low C going across
to Low A you react to certain passages from the text. You do
this as you are reading the passage so that what you write
down are your thoughts. The ennead matrix looks like
this.
Table I is taken from Chapter 4 "Loving and Liking". Page 156
Line 10.
RUBIN: In practice, research on "interpersonal attractions
turns out to be research about one individuals attitude about
another-how favorably or unfavorably one person evaluates
or feels about another. This is one important aspect of the
relationships people form, but we need to study relationships
more fully. This includes looking not only at feelings of
attractions, but at the development of relationships. How
do pairs develop over time, in their particular social,
cultural and historical contexts?
My reactions for the ennead matrix will be labeled as from
number one and so on. which means that I will be starting from
the Low C level and working my way up.
1. - Yes, I believe that interpersonal relationships develop
from the attitude of an individual over another.
-the development of a relationship depends on various
factors which in turns determines the kind of relationship
it will end up in.
2. - My own relationships with friends that I have known
since childhood compared to those friendships that I have
recently come across on.
- The relationship I have with my boyfriends family and
my own.
- The conversations with various people.
3. - I really treasure a true friendship and therefore I
will take extra time to help a real friend in need on
contrast to some other friends that I have not considered
always true.
- The relationship that I have with my boyfriend wasn't
really intended at the beginning. At first I didn't ant to
be tied down - I only wanted to be friends - but as it
turned out I have really strong feelings for him and
we really get along.
4. - On how favorably or unfavorably one person evaluates
or feels about another. I agree that this statement
pertains to the important aspect as to why or how relation-
ships form.
- The feelings of attraction toward a certain individual
determines what kind o relationship you will end up with.
- The way an individual presents themselves for the first
time will have a big impact on how you will feel about
them in the future. But then as you get to know the person
better you will become to better understand them and then
the relationship will either develop more fully or die off.
5. - One example is having to meet my new roommate for the
first time. My first impression of her was based on her
looks and I thought that I wouldn't be able to get along with
her but as the semester went by I realized that I was wrong
and we became very good friends.
- another example is when I met this guy at a party and he
was obviously drunk and quite obnoxious. I don't think
that I want to meet that person again.
6. - Because I believe in those statements and I actually
choose my friends on the basis on how they present themselves-
especially in public. I wouldn't want to be with someone
who has a reputation of "stabbing" people in the back.
I think that it would ruin my reputation also.
7. - That we need to fully understand the kind of relationship
we are getting into but also give the other person a chance
to at least identify themselves.
- People coming from different backgrounds may not act the
same as you do.
8. - The kinds of friends you acquire will be based on
their ability to meet your own standards and self esteem.
- When making friends you may lose out because of the
lack of insight towards yourself and others.
9. - I feel that sometimes we are blind to the fact that
someone who is trying to get close to you and whom you
are trying to avoid may really be a good person. There
is the fact that you are not giving them the chance to
be your friend.
Table II i6 taken from Psychology of Human Development, page 202-
203. Interest in appearance.
l. - Personal appearance plays a large part in the life of
an individual. It affects them both physically and mentally.
- The way a person looks and dresses affects the way he or
she will look upon themselves.
2. - Because of the way I think about myself.
- I think that I would be depressed if I gained so much
weight so that my clothes didn't fit me.
-I get kind of depressed when there is a big zit on my face.
3. - Because of the times when I think about when I was before"
and "after".
- I think that my feelings or attitudes about myself is
affected by the way that I look on an everyday basis.
- I want to look my best everyday - to myself as well as
people that I encounter.
4. -From the time when we are young the environment around us
plays an important role on how we want to look or how
we are going to portray how we look.
- The appearance of a person will affect on how she or he
will behave.
5. - The kinds of advertisements that are shown on television,
in ads, etc. portray on the way that we should look in order
to get the most attention.
- Now days there is a lot of emphasis on weight. spa and
Health clinics, weight pills, sleek clothes. I think it
plays a big role in how we try to look today.
A health-conscious mind is said to be a beautiful you.
6. - Today, bodies that are in fit are "in" and the heavy set
ones are not in. This is shown in various advertisements
from clothing to cars. You rarely see a fat model showing-
off a sleek camera. The only kinds of advertisements fat
people are used for is the "before" picture of a weight
loss ad.
-
I think that even in the job market there is prejudice
on the way you look. Most companies would like to have
a pretty receptionists than a fat one.
7. - Self - appraisal of bodily transformations and one's
comparison to others bring forth new insights and some
concerns. Pressure will be placed on the individual if
they themselves think that they not look up to societies
standards.
- The emphasis on beautiful people will tend to wilt those
drives in other people.
8. - You feel the way you look.
- Your status in life (wealth) will determine on how you
look.
9. - I think the society has gone over board in the beauty
scene. For example, take perfume commercials. They say
that you will catch a man if you wear a particular perfume.
Does the perfume change your looks?
Conclusion:
I think that the Ennead matrix is a good way of studying
when you want to fully understand the way that you are thinking.
It has some disadvantages because of the time it takes to
understand what you are really thinking. I have learned alot
through the ennead matrix. For example, I can now understand
why I do some of the things I do. Most of my reactions are
all automatic and I rarely stop to think about why or what
made me do some things. But by knowing the ennead matrix and
the three-fold self I understand more clearly about my reactions.
Now before I do or say something I stop and analyze the situation
first.
Bibliography:
PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Justin Pikuras, Ph. D.
Eugene J. Albrecht, Ph. D,
McGraw-Hill Book Company,Inc. 1961
PSYCHOLOGY IS SOCIAL
Edward Krupat
Scott, Foresman and Company 1982