Re.: B:CP Chapter 4

CSGnet Archive CSG2013
1

[David Goldstein (2013.08.01.21:40)]

Dear Friends,
Here are my answers.
Hope to see yours soon.
David

Chapter 4, Feedback and Behavior

Study Guide

How would you describe
the main argument of this chapter? How does it relate to the question of whether
any behavior is open - loop?

The
input
into our senses changes the output from our muscles, which changes the
environment, which changes the input into our senses. And this happens in more
of a simultaneous manner than a sequential manner. When one is doing a task in a research study, there are task instructions which the person is asked to follow. This makes all research studies a control task. Is the person following the task instructions?

Consider the following
statement: When one observes a behavior, PCT suggests that one should ask what
aspect(s) of a person’s experience is being altered, influenced, or regulated
by the behavior. Agree or disagree? Explain your answer.

I agree
with this. The function of a behavior for a person is to control some specific experience
within the person. To better understand a person, one should attempt to
identify the experience the person wants to control.

Consider the following
statement: It is found out that a person is engaging in self-cutting. What do
you think a person might be controlling by this action?

There is
probably no one answer. Maybe the person is being overwhelmed by stress and
this serves to reduce the stress in some way. The person may think that
punishment is needed and this serves to punish the person. The person may get
excited by seeing the blood come out. The difference between a PCT approach and
other ones, is that some effort will be made to test out the hypothesis of what
experience is being controlled.

If a person has no
preferences, that is, the person keeps saying “I don’t careâ€?, what do you think
the person might be controlling?

Again,
this question probably has no one answer. The person could be depressed and has
stopped trying to get what he/she wants. The person might be experiencing
frustration and this is a way to reduce it—Whatever happens is OK.

Do you think that a
person could “over-do-itâ€? when it comes to controlling his/her experiences?
Explain your answer.

Once again, there is probably no one correct
answer. What occurs to me is that the person might be “obsessive/compulsiveâ€?
and might be trying to control everything in his/her life to a high degree.
There are no priorities.

Try the leading questions at the end of this chapter. I will
hold off on these for now.

2

[John Kirkland 2013 08 05]

Q1.This chapter reaffirms the notion of ‘open loop’ is an oxymoron. It’s a cute phrase that sticks in my craw. I’m not able to understand why it is necessary to continue using this awkward phrase. If I find it still disturbing does this suggests nobody has yet provided a satisfactory explanation to remove this annoyance? I’d have thought an open loop is like a straight line, a drive-through, a non-returning route, passing through, not looking back, no prisoners, life goes on, etc. If I read the text correctly isn’t Bill emphasising there is no such condition in living organisms. If so, why perpetuate a myth? Ah, ha, it’s possibly a straw-person.

Q2. I’m a little stuck here; in particular, a. how to reconcile this question with the chapter’s final sentence and, b. conceptualising ‘experience’ from a PCT analysis. With respect to b. is experience a high-level reportable organisation?

Q3. In lay terms one would probably say this person is disturbed, along with those on certain diets. Page 49 para 2 has a good clue here,‘… why different disturbances may be followed by the same action and why repetition of the same disturbance may result in different actions.’ To find out what the person is controlling would require deft clinical skills.

Q4. The ‘I don’t care’ may be represent different manifestations: a. ‘whatever’, choosing from amongst numerous equally suitable options, or b.unwilling to do anything at all (no other goals, can’t be bothered), or c. incapable (unable to make a choice), or d. resigned to ‘what’s the use of doing anything at all’ (hopeless). Which of these does the person do the most about to maintain, assuming they have the means and where-with-all to make any difference to their current status, or not.

Q5. Nice one David, now you’ve presented the opposite extreme where every little irregularity becomes a focus of attention, an irritation that has to addressed like NOW. The person’s probably attempting to control everything and there’s no sense of prioritising, of deciding ‘this’ is more important than ‘that’. Micromanagers have the same annoying lack of discrimination; what’s yours in mine and what’s mine is my own.

···

On Fri, Aug 2, 2013 at 1:41 PM, D GOLDSTEIN davidmg@verizon.net wrote:

[David Goldstein (2013.08.01.21:40)]

Dear Friends,
Here are my answers.
Hope to see yours soon.
David

Chapter 4, Feedback and Behavior

Study Guide

How would you describe
the main argument of this chapter? How does it relate to the question of whether
any behavior is open - loop?

The
input
into our senses changes the output from our muscles, which changes the
environment, which changes the input into our senses. And this happens in more
of a simultaneous manner than a sequential manner. When one is doing a task in a research study, there are task instructions which the person is asked to follow. This makes all research studies a control task. Is the person following the task instructions?

Consider the following
statement: When one observes a behavior, PCT suggests that one should ask what
aspect(s) of a person’s experience is being altered, influenced, or regulated
by the behavior. Agree or disagree? Explain your answer.

I agree
with this. The function of a behavior for a person is to control some specific experience
within the person. To better understand a person, one should attempt to
identify the experience the person wants to control.

Consider the following
statement: It is found out that a person is engaging in self-cutting. What do
you think a person might be controlling by this action?

There is
probably no one answer. Maybe the person is being overwhelmed by stress and
this serves to reduce the stress in some way. The person may think that
punishment is needed and this serves to punish the person. The person may get
excited by seeing the blood come out. The difference between a PCT approach and
other ones, is that some effort will be made to test out the hypothesis of what
experience is being controlled.

If a person has no
preferences, that is, the person keeps saying “I don’t care”, what do you think
the person might be controlling?

Again,
this question probably has no one answer. The person could be depressed and has
stopped trying to get what he/she wants. The person might be experiencing
frustration and this is a way to reduce it—Whatever happens is OK.

Do you think that a
person could “over-do-it” when it comes to controlling his/her experiences?
Explain your answer.

Once again, there is probably no one correct
answer. What occurs to me is that the person might be “obsessive/compulsive”
and might be trying to control everything in his/her life to a high degree.
There are no priorities.

Try the leading questions at the end of this chapter. I will
hold off on these for now.