Cognitive

Behavioral

Psychodynamic

HumanisticFrom Racing Horses to Seeing the Elephant

Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.

James Madison UniversityJames Madison University

Behavioral

Unified Approaches are Unified Approaches are Increasing in NumbersIncreasing in Numbers

Seymour EpsteinSeymour Epstein““Integration of the Cognitive and the Psychodynamic Integration of the Cognitive and the Psychodynamic

Unconscious” Unconscious” Erica Moses & David BarlowErica Moses & David Barlow

““A New Unified Treatment Approach for Emotional A New Unified Treatment Approach for Emotional Disorders Based on Emotion Science”Disorders Based on Emotion Science”

Dan McAdamsDan McAdams“A New Big Five”“A New Big Five” Jeffery Magnavita’sJeffery Magnavita’s Unified Psychotherapy Unified Psychotherapy Jack Mayer’sJack Mayer’s General Systems approach to General Systems approach to

PersonalityPersonality Sternberg’s Sternberg’s Unified PsychologyUnified Psychology

What Is the Tree of What Is the Tree of Knowledge System?Knowledge System?

The Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System is a new approach to the theoretical unification of psychology in particular and the sciences more generally. The outline of the ToK System was published in Review of General Psychology in 2003, and in that article, the metatheoretical lens provided by the system was used to unite Skinner and Freud. The focus was on these two luminaries because when one simultaneously considers their influence and the divergence of their theoretical positions, it is readily arguable that they represent the two most difficult positions to integrate.

The Justification for the Need The Justification for the Need for More Integrated Scientific for More Integrated Scientific

Knowledge Is Offered by Knowledge Is Offered by Oliver Reiser in 1958Oliver Reiser in 1958

In this time of divisive tendencies within and between the nations, races, religions, sciences and humanities, synthesis must become the great magnet which orients us all…[Yet] scientists have not done what is possible toward integrating bodies of knowledge created by science into a unified interpretation of man, his place in nature, and his potentialities for creating the good society. Instead, they are entombing us in dark and meaningless catacombs of learning. (Reiser, 1958, p. 2-3).

Gallup Poll on Question Gallup Poll on Question of Creation for American of Creation for American

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God Created Man 10000 ya

God Created Man Mil YA

Man Evolved Naturally

Building the ToK Building the ToK SystemSystem

Humans split off from their nearest relatives ~5 MYA, evolving into a whole different dimension of complexity

Science emerges several hundred years ago, and functions to map the evolution of complexity

The Following Diagram From The Following Diagram From Reiser’s 1958 Book Shows Reiser’s 1958 Book Shows Striking Similarities and Striking Similarities and

Important DifferencesImportant Differences

The ToK System Gives The ToK System Gives Rise to a “Four Rise to a “Four Dimensional” Dimensional”

World ViewWorld View

Four Fundamental Levels of Four Fundamental Levels of ComplexityComplexity

Four Fundamental Classes Four Fundamental Classes of Scienceof Science

Four Fundamental Classes Four Fundamental Classes of Objectsof Objects

The Structure of the ToK The Structure of the ToK Suggests the Existence of Four Suggests the Existence of Four Fundamental Theories; Two of Fundamental Theories; Two of

Which Are MissingWhich Are Missing

The Current State of The Current State of the Fieldthe Field

Psychology is currently a poorly organized set of ideas that exists between Skinner and Freud on the one hand and Biology and Sociology on the other.

Three Other Ideas That Three Other Ideas That Complete the ToK Complete the ToK

SystemSystem Behavioral Investment TheoryBehavioral Investment Theory

The Influence MatrixThe Influence Matrix The Justification HypothesisThe Justification Hypothesis

Behavioral Behavioral Investment Investment

TheoryTheory

A Theory of the Evolution A Theory of the Evolution of Mindof Mind

The first theory that is “missing” is called:

BIT is the idea that the nervous system is a computational control system that computes the expenditure of behavioral energy on an investment value system built via evolution and learning.

It unifies Skinner’s radical behaviorism with cognitive neuroscience and places it on a solid evolutionary foundation

What is Behavioral What is Behavioral Investment Theory?Investment Theory?

BIT Organizes the Aspects of Psychological Science Most Associated With the Natural Sciences.

However, BIT does not provide a full account of human behavior…

Peggy La Cerra Offered an Peggy La Cerra Offered an Identical Model in 2003Identical Model in 2003

“Evolutionary processes have crafted intelligence systems that are fundamentally designed to acquire, manage, and direct energetic resources toward the maintenance of life processes and the attainment of life-stage specific goals.”

“Scientific psychology is on the cusp of a seismic shift into this energy framework, and in the foreseeable future, the social sciences will be rectified with the physical laws of energy. It is only a matter of time before student of human nature consensually agree that the first law of psychology is the second law of thermodynamics.”

The Two Broad Bio-The Two Broad Bio-Behavioral SystemsBehavioral Systems

Orients toward Orients toward approach goalsapproach goals

Expend energy to Expend energy to acquire resourceacquire resource

Focus on “benefit” Focus on “benefit” side of behavioral side of behavioral equationequation

Left PrefrontalLeft Prefrontal ExtraversionExtraversion Positive affectPositive affect

Orients toward Orients toward avoidance goalsavoidance goals

Conserve acquired Conserve acquired resourceresource

Focus on Focus on cost/loss/threatcost/loss/threat

Right PrefrontalRight Prefrontal NeuroticismNeuroticism Negative affectNegative affect

Behavioral Activation System Behavioral Inhibition

A Useful Heuristic that A Useful Heuristic that Emerges Out of BIT:Emerges Out of BIT:

P - M = EP - M = EP= perception of where you currently are P= perception of where you currently are

in relation to achieving some need/goalin relation to achieving some need/goalM= motivation/memory, an internal M= motivation/memory, an internal

representation of some goal structure representation of some goal structure based on genetics and prior learningbased on genetics and prior learning

E= emotion, which stems from the E= emotion, which stems from the discrepancy between where one is and discrepancy between where one is and where one desires to be in relation to a where one desires to be in relation to a particular need/goal.particular need/goal.

The Influence The Influence MatrixMatrix

An Integrated Model of An Integrated Model of Social Motivation and AffectSocial Motivation and Affect

Applying the Principles of BIT and the P – M = E equation to social behavior gives rise to the…

The first basic assumption of the IM is that social influence is a resource all humans are motivated to acquire.

The Second AssumptionThe Second Assumption

The second basic assumption is that there are three conceptually distinct dimensions underlying social influence. Specifically, they are: 1) power (competitive influence); 2) love (cooperative influence); and 3) freedom (freedom from influence).

The Third Assumption The Third Assumption

The third assumption of the IM is that a person’s emotions provide feedback to them as they either succeed or fail in relationship to achieving the goals.

The Fourth AssumptionThe Fourth Assumption

The three dimensions of power, love and freedom are dynamically interrelated in that changes in one dimension lead to changes in another.

Consider the old political adage, “It is better to be feared than loved.”

The Fifth AssumptionThe Fifth Assumption

The reasons we give for our behavior The reasons we give for our behavior are guided in part by the underlying are guided in part by the underlying motivational tendencies toward motivational tendencies toward maximizing social influence.maximizing social influence.

Indeed, the connection between Indeed, the connection between human reasoning, language and human reasoning, language and social motivation is more clearly social motivation is more clearly specified in the final piece of the specified in the final piece of the puzzle…the Justification Hypothesispuzzle…the Justification Hypothesis

The Justification The Justification HypothesisHypothesis

A New Theory of Human Self-A New Theory of Human Self-Consciousness and the Consciousness and the

Evolution of CultureEvolution of Culture

The Justification Hypothesis The Justification Hypothesis Is the Mind-to-culture Joint Is the Mind-to-culture Joint

PointPoint

What Is the Justification What Is the Justification Hypothesis?Hypothesis?

The JH is the notion that humans The JH is the notion that humans have an elaborate self-awareness have an elaborate self-awareness system because the evolution of system because the evolution of language created the problem of language created the problem of justification. In brief, humans justification. In brief, humans became the only animal that had became the only animal that had to explain why it did what it did.to explain why it did what it did.

The Three Claims That The Three Claims That Organize the JHOrganize the JH

1.1. Freud’s fundamental observation was that Freud’s fundamental observation was that the human consciousness system functions the human consciousness system functions as a justification filter for behavioral as a justification filter for behavioral investments.investments.

2.2. This justification filter evolved because This justification filter evolved because language creates the “problem of language creates the “problem of justification.”justification.”

3.3. The Justification Hypothesis provides the The Justification Hypothesis provides the psychological foundation for a unified psychological foundation for a unified theory of culture and links the individual theory of culture and links the individual level of analysis (human psychology) with level of analysis (human psychology) with the social level (macro social sciences) the social level (macro social sciences) using the same language of justification using the same language of justification systems.systems.

Justification SystemsJustification Systems

1) Justifications are the reasons we use to validate our actions. (For example, a parent might justify why she sets the rules by saying: “It is my house, I pay the bills, I tell you what to do—not the reverse.”)

2) Each individual has their own worldview, their own system of justification.

3) Differences in justification systems become apparent in times of conflict.

4)4) Large scale justification systems organize Large scale justification systems organize societysociety

Together, Behavioral Together, Behavioral Investment Theory Investment Theory

and the Justification and the Justification Hypothesis Suggest a Hypothesis Suggest a Two Domain Model of Two Domain Model of the Human Mind (a the Human Mind (a point made by many point made by many

theorists)theorists)

ExperiencingExperiencingMindMind

Justifying Justifying MindMind

OVERT BEHAVIOROVERT BEHAVIOR

Filtering

The Justification Hypothesis The Justification Hypothesis SuggestsSuggests

Two Domains of JustificationTwo Domains of Justification

Explaining ourselves to ourselvesExplaining ourselves to ourselves Within the context of self-awareness Within the context of self-awareness

(private)(private) The “Freudian Filter”The “Freudian Filter”

Explaining ourselves to othersExplaining ourselves to others Within the social context (public)Within the social context (public) The “Rogerian Filter”The “Rogerian Filter”

Exper SelfExper Self

Private Self Private SelfPublic Self Public Self

Large Scale Justification Systems

Overt Behavioral Investments

In Sum…In Sum…

We must do a better job organizing our We must do a better job organizing our fieldfield

The Four Major Pieces of The ToK The Four Major Pieces of The ToK System—The Diagram, Behavioral System—The Diagram, Behavioral Investment Theory, The Influence Investment Theory, The Influence Matrix, and the Justification Matrix, and the Justification Hypothesis offer a new metatheoretical Hypothesis offer a new metatheoretical perspective on the field which can help perspective on the field which can help us move more from racing horse to…us move more from racing horse to…

Seeing the Elephant!Seeing the Elephant!