Transcript self
Carmen Luciano (University of Almeria) Jennifer L. Boulanger (University of Nevada Reno) Ian Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) Overview of Workshop • PART 1 – – – – RFT and the Self Empirical Model of Self Perspective Taking Three Selves • PART 2 – Applications – Experiential exercises RFT & The Self RFT and the Self • The self is a core concept in ACT, in psychotherapy and psychology more generally • Skinner suggested the concept of the self is based on the discrimination of one’s own behavior That definition seems a bit on the simplistic side… Verbal vs Nonverbal Self-Knowledge • Animals know what they experience • Learned through direct experience with contingencies in their environment • Animals can be trained to report their own experience LATTAL (1975) (SLOW) DRL schedule DRH schedule (FAST) Reinforcer Nonverbal Self-Knowledge • Nonverbal self-awareness – Responding to one’s own behavior • Nonverbal self – The physical organism Verbal Self-Knowledge • Humans don’t simply behave with regard to their own behavior - they respond verbally with regard to their own behavior RFT & Language • According to RFT, the core of human language is the ability to arbitrarily relate objects and events, thus changing the psychological functions of those events • This is referred to as arbitrarily applicable relational responding or relational framing • To explain this concept, we first distinguish between non arbitrary and arbitrarily applicable relations Non Arbitrary & Arbitrarily Applicable Relations CONTEXTUAL CUE NON-ARBITRARY (PHYSICAL) RELATIONS ARBITRARILY APPLICABLE RELATIONS ‘APPLE’ ‘SAME’ ‘IS’ 5c 10c ‘MORE THAN’ Better Worse ‘OPPOSITE’ RELATIONAL FRAME THEORY PROPERTIES OF ARBITRARILY APPLICABLE RELATIONAL RESPONDING 1. Mutual Entailment salivation sweet red smooth Apple Ull 2. Combinatorial Entailment 3. Transformation of Functions salivation smooth sweet ull red RFT & Language • Any object in a relational frame is a verbal object • Our own responding can be part of a relational frame and hence it can be verbal • In less technical language, we can talk about our own behavior I wandered lonely as a cloud… I’ve been practising my ‘friendly’ smile … see? An empirical model of self awareness Modeling verbal discrimination of ‘self’ behaviour (Dymond & Barnes, 1994) A1 - B1 - C1 A2 - B2 - C2 A3 - B3 - C3 SR+ SR+ Transfer of self discrimination response functions • We can compare our behavior either to a different example of our own behavior (e.g., “I used to know that but I’ve forgotten”) or to someone else’s behavior (e.g., “She swam faster than me”) Transformation of self-discrimination response functions via comparative relations Dymond and Barnes (1995) Train 1 Response Function B1 Less Same A1 Same C1 Test 1 Response Function Less B2 Same Test 0 Response Function More More C2 Test 2 Response Function Verbal Self-Discrimination • Verbal reports of one’s own behavior, or of the contingencies controlling it, can alter the functions of both – The light side --- EXAMPLE?... – The dark side --- EXAMPLE?... –Self-instructions can reduce the effects of temporal delays in reinforcement –Self-knowledge of aversive events is itself aversive Perspective Taking Perspective-Taking • Most relational frames are based on formal or non-arbitrary counterparts – This chair is bigger than that chair – Steve has less hair than Homer < Perspective-Taking • Some frames have no non-arbitrary counterparts and must be taught through demonstration and multiple exemplars • Such frames include DEICTIC frames or perspective-taking frames – I-YOU – HERE-THERE – NOW-THEN Development of Perspective-Taking • The verbal community trains a child to make self-discriminations by asking questions such as – What am I doing over here? – What are you doing now? • Perspective is the invariant that is abstracted from these discriminations – I-YOU, HERE-THERE, NOW-THEN • It is responding to responding from a particular locus I am a good bad husband doctor I think of my yourfather lunchtime work pain I go back to my home into the to office school dark I touch the my face into screen hot thepan water I see and you a desk bright coming hear future a dog I hear my music a birds driving mother singing car calling I eat a bread ice chocolate cream steak I am a good bad husband doctor I think of my yourfather lunchtime work pain I go back to my home into the to office school dark I touch the my face into screen hot thepan water I see and you a desk bright coming hear future a dog I hear eat chocolate bread ice a music a birds my steak driving cream mother singing car calling I am a good bad husband doctor I think of my yourfather lunchtime work pain I go back to my home into the to office school dark I touch the my face into screen hot thepan water I see eat chocolate hear bread ice a you a and music a birds my steak desk bright driving cream coming hear mother singing future acar dog calling I am a good bad husband doctor I think of my yourfather lunchtime work pain I go back to my home into the to office school dark I touch eat chocolate hear see bread ice a you a and music a birds my steak desk bright my into the driving cream coming hear mother face screen hot the singing future apan car water dog calling I think of my yourfather lunchtime work pain I go back to my home into the to office school dark I am eat chocolate hear see touch bread ice a good bad you a and music a birds my steak husband doctor desk bright my into the driving cream coming hear mother face screen hot the singing future apan car water dog calling I go back to my home into the to office school dark I am think doctor of your lunchtime my work father pain eat a hear see touch bread ice chocolate good bad you a and music a birds my steak husband desk bright my into the driving cream coming hear mother face screen hot the singing future apan car water dog calling I am eat back hear see touch go think to home into bread ice a chocolate good bad you a and music a birds my steak husband doctor of my desk bright my into the driving cream the your lunchtime my coming hear to mother office face screen hot the singing school dark work father future pain apan car water dog calling Development of Perspective-Taking • Abstraction of one’s perspective requires – Sufficiently well developed relational repertoire – Extensive history of multiple exemplars that take advantage of that repertoire • Deictic frames build upon simpler relations that are true relative to a given perspective – Which is your left hand? – Which way is left? Perspective-Taking • A person is always speaking from the perspective of I-HERE-NOW about events that happen THERE and THEN • Words like I and YOU do not define perspective-taking frames; they are Crels that often control perspective-taking frames • Responding in accordance with deictic frames allows us to evaluate, compare, contrast, and judge events from a constant perspective Development of Perspective Taking McHugh, Barnes-Holmes, & Barnes-Holmes (2004) 80 70 60 50 Errors 40 30 20 10 0 Adults Adoles. Mid Early Late C/hood C/hood C/hood Age Range • Deictic relational framing (I-You, Here-There, Now-Then) ability correlates with data from Theory of Mind studies A Single Relation Task I have a white brick and you have a red brick Which brick do you have? Which brick do I have? A Reversed Relation Task I am sitting here on the blue chair and you are sitting there on the black chair Here: There: If HERE was THERE and THERE was HERE Where would I be sitting? Where would you be sitting? A Double Reversed Relation Task Yesterday I was sitting there on the black chair, today I am sitting here on the blue chair There: Here: Now: Then: If HERE was THERE and THERE was HERE and NOW was THEN and THEN was NOW Where would I be sitting now? Where would you be sitting then? Further Research on Deictics • Relational repertoires required for perspective taking follow a distinct developmental profile and are comprised of functionally distinct relational components (McHugh, Barnes-Holmes, Barnes-Holmes & Stewart, 2006) • Deictic relations are generalized operants (Weil, 2007) • Deictic relations can be trained (e.g., Heagle & Rehfeldt, 2006) including in children with autistic spectrum disorders with perspective-taking deficits (Rehfeldt, Dillen, Ziomek & Kowalchuk, 2007) The 3 Selves The Three Selves • In RFT, self is defined by participation of one’s behavior in relational frames and networks • Verbal behavior gives rise to three types of self – Object of verbal knowledge • The conceptualized self • Self as content – Process of verbal knowledge • The knowing self • Self as process – Locus of verbal knowledge • transcendent self • Self as context or perspective Self-as-Content (Conceptualized Self) • Descriptive and evaluative relational networks that I construct HERE and NOW when talking about I (or my behaviors) THERE and THEN – I’m lazy. I’m a good cook. I’m a loyal friend. • We tend to organize our own histories and tendencies into a coherent relational network – Ignore contradictory evidence, amplify confirmatory evidence, act in ways that avoid disconfirmation Self-as-Content (Conceptualized Self) • Well-elaborated – Touches on every verbally known aspect of life (e.g. history, situation, preferences, abilities, private events) • Multi-layered – Strong social contingencies support different depths of self-knowledge in different contexts • Rigid – Historical, and thus, seemingly unchangeable – Basis for reason-giving Self-as-Content (Conceptualized Self) • The product of evaluative processes are defended, while the process itself rarely noticed • Difficulties occur when products of relational responding are treated as True, Real aspects of the world – This is a good book vs. I evaluate this book as good – I am anxious vs. I feel my heart beating fast and I have the urge to run away from this situation. – You are obnoxious vs. I think ‘you are obnoxious’ Self-as-Process (Knowing Self) • Ongoing, fluid awareness of the action of relating events verbally – I feel, I think, I wonder, I like, I hear, I remember… • Extremely useful in behavioral regulation – Allows others to predict behavior without knowledge of individual history – Self-rules would be much less effective without this kind of self-knowledge • Threats to self-as-process – Inadequate training by verbal community – Experiential avoidance Self-as-Process (Knowing Self) • The knowing self feeds the conceptualized self and is necessary to contact the transcendent self – In order to know that “I am a depressed person”, I must first know that I frequently feel sad and have low energy across many contexts – Self-monitoring and awareness are required to observe the observer Self-as-Process Clinical Issues • Weak self knowledge – Difficulty observing and describing current thoughts, emotions, sensations – Inability to persist in or change focus • Dominance of conceptualized past and future – Present moment is lost to worry and rumination • What have you noticed in your clients? Self-as-Process Clinical Issues • What ACT processes would you target in order to develop a sense of knowing self? • ACT Techniques – Leaves on stream, soldiers on parade – Cubbyholing (labeling) – Observing sensations, body scan – Any, all mindfulness exercises Self-as-Context (Transcendent Self) • The sense of self as perspective or of psychological locus – The invariant in all self-discriminations • Experiential link between verbal and nonverbal knowledge (repertoires) – Not thing-like: no limits, unchanging, ever-present • Not itself verbal, though it is a product of a verbal history – Cannot be contacted verbally, only experienced directly Self-as-Context Clinical Issues • No/unstable sense of self • Stigma, objectification of others • Low empathy and self-compassion • Difficulties with intimacy, connecting with others • What have you noticed in your own clients? In your own lives? • How would you help clients develop a sense of self as perspective? Self-as-Context Techniques • Observer exercise • Chessboard metaphor • Box full of stuff • The documentary of you • Expanding awareness • You as child, you as older adult • Perspective shifting • When would you not be you? Perspective-Taking & the 3 Selves Self as Content Self as Process I am male I am feeling nervous I am 34 years old I am feeling defensive I am a son and a brother I want to escape I am generous Etc. Etc. MUST AVOID INTIMACY UNWORTHY OF THE Lack of contact with social contingencies AFFECTION OR TRUST OF OTHERS FEELINGS OF LONELINESS LONELY SAD INDIVIDUAL WORTHLESS BAD NO-ONE LOVES ME ME NOTHING BUT TROUBLE STUPID EVERYONE LAUGHS AT ME FUSION AND DEFUSION I am having the thought that I am worthless Hierarchical Hierarchical Relation Relation Self as Content I am a worthless AND person Self as Process I feel so worthless right now I am having the feeling that I am worthless right now Carmen Luciano (University of Almeria) Jennifer L. Boulanger (University of Nevada Reno) Ian Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) Verbal Knowing Self-asContext Self-as-Process Self-asContent Non-Verbal Knowing "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." Wittgenstein Verbal & Non-Verbal Knowledge • Nonverbal self – Locus of nonverbal knowledge – Ongoing behavioral stream – Biological organism • Nonverbal knowledge – Organism’s non-relational behavioral repertoire • Nature of knowing: direct behavioral processes – Operant and classical conditioning – Stimulus and response generalization based on formal properties of events in evolutionary sense Nonverbal Knowing Verbal Knowing • Verbal self – Object of verbal knowledge – Process of verbal knowledge – Locus of verbal knowledge • Verbal knowledge – Behavioral functions established through networks of derived stimulus relations • Nature of verbal knowledge – Derived and arbitrarily applicable relational responding KNOWING Nonverbal Verbal Behavioral stream; biological organism “I” perspective Direct processes: operant/classical conditioning; stim gen based on formal properties Arbitrarily Applicable Relational Responding Locus of Knowing Nature of Knowing