B:CP Chapter 14 Summary

[David Goldstein (2013.10.20.21:20)]

The diagram on page 191 provides an overall summary of PCT.

Reorganization is the part of PCT which contains all of the inborn, homeostatic control systems. The Reorganization System has intrinsic reference signals provided by DNA.

The Reorganization keeps the body state in the genetically prescribed state. The intrinsic perceptual signals from the body state are compared to the intrinsic reference signals. If they are different, an intrinsic error signal is created. The intrinsic error signal is what drives the creation of new control systems, or changes existing control systems, or creates a new

level of perception.

Awareness and volition are associated with the Reorganization System and play an important role in the workings of the Reorganization System. The learned control systems are

the means by which the homeostatic control systems control the body state.

The cause of change within an organism is the result of intrinsic error signals. No intrinsic error signal, no change. In a paper, Bill
describes the sequence in which a new

control system is acquired as: input function, comparator function and output function.

The mechanism of change that Bill adopted was the E.Coli model. This is essentially a random, trial and error process. If an organism is confronted by a novel

problem, the change
mechanism had to be able to handle such a circumstance.

The concept of Reorganization is very different from the traditional learning concepts of operant conditioning, classical conditioning, observational learning, and verbal

learning. PCT concepts can be used to describe these different kinds of traditional learning concepts.

See the attached pdf file about the concepts in this chapter.

Chapter 14 Summary pdf files.pdf (124 KB)