MANIPULATING MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS
Abstract
The current study aims to reflect on mental models and schema of the author and identify the disempowering mental models and empowering mental models in a chosen life area. The area of life selected along with the issues has been discussed, followed by the analysis of the disempowering and empowering mental models. In the study, the author has also reflected upon the impacts created by the disempowering mental model and have re-framed those mental models into empowering ones.
Contents
Selecting one area of life that is not working as expected. 4
Disempowering mental models. 5
Re-framing the disempowering mental model into empowering mental model 7
Introduction
Schemas and mental models are the types of cognitive structures that individual forms in his/her life through various interactions with his/her environment. From, Piaget‘s theory of cognitive development, our cognitive schemas get modified with the help of two processes:
- Assimilation
- Accommodation
Assimilation occurs when an individual learns a new idea and fits it into already existing schemas. Furthermore, accommodation occurs when an individual modifies and re-structures the already existing schemas (Fenn & Byrne, 2013). Though Piaget has mentioned that these two processes occur during our developmental ages, but in fact, these two processes play a huge role in every phase of our life. Schemas can be empowering as well as disempowering. They are formed due to interactions, especially with the parents during childhood, forms the internal framework of working memory models, which determines our way of looking up to the world and its different information (Busselle, 2017).
Selecting one area of life that is not working as expected
To talk about an area of my life that is not correctly working as I wanted is my relationship with my partner. Our relationship is near about three years, and it is my second relationship. Before going into my present relationship, talking about my past relationship will give some insight here. My very first relationship was a very abusive one; I had to face many hurdles but tried my best to take it up to marriage. Thus, it was about eight years long but a toxic relationship. The gap between the two relationships was short.
Initially, the relationship with my present partner was going well. But gradually, power struggles, ego wars, and misunderstanding overtook our love somewhere. My analysis of these situations brings about some interesting facts like: I was comparing my present partner with my past, mostly. But there was a state of vagueness, and I have not been able to compare him and fit him anywhere in my schema, and our problems were exaggerating. My mind was having disempowering thoughts because my disempowering mental models were activated. This happened because there was a formation of disempowering mental models or schemas due to the complex trauma faced in my previous relationship. After the formation of disempowering schema, the present information, which is not that disempowering, was not fitting into the already existing disempowering schemas (i.e., failure to assimilate) and even I was not able to modify these robust disempowering schemas (i.e., failure to accommodate).
While weighing the amount of disempowering and empowering mental models that dominated my mind regarding my present relationship, the amount of disempowering mental models was more in numbers. These never came consciously into my mind, but after I started analyzing, they came into my awareness. They are described as follows:
Disempowering mental models
- I can get betrayed again: In my previous relationship, I have been betrayed several times, due to which there is a cognitive schema developed that I should not trust anyone. Hence, it is affecting my present relationship, and my paranoid ideations are increasing.
- I am not a person to get love: due to my previous relationship, this disempowering mental model has been formed. In the present situation, whenever I have a quarrel with my partner, it reinforces this mental model. It makes me feel unwanted and unloved and the one who does not deserve any love from anyone.
- I feel unimportant: whenever my partner stays busy with the work or something else, I feel I am not that important, which further activated the other two disempowering mental models already mentioned.
Empowering mental models:
- We can have a good future: my partner is supportive in nature; I can share every little secret with my partner. Therefore, it makes me believe that we will have a good future if we get married and settle our future together despite the fights we have.
- We can have a long-standing relationship: every time we quarrel, we can sort things out and even console each other. We both are compassionate about each other, which is important for a relationship. So, I think this is the reason behind this empowering mental model.
Impact of the disempowering mental models on selected life area
The disempowering mental models mentioned have many ill effects on my relationship. These disempowering mental model influences more negative thoughts regarding my partner. It results in the sense of mistrust in me towards my partner. Due to high rejection sensitivity, I feel unloved and unimportant, which again hampers our mutual understanding. Our relationship suffers from recurrent fights, power battles, and ego wars. These affect the healthy homeostasis of our relationship as well as affect our personal mental health. We remain sad and anxious regarding our relationship because we really want to stay with each other, but healthily. But these disempowering mental models are not the absolute truth which I hold. According to my analysis, these are my biased views and schemas, which have resulted due to my past interactions with my parents and my previous partner. The high rejection sensitivity and sense of mistrust towards my current partner are due to the incidents which I have experience in my past relationship. As it has full of abuse, infidelity, invalidation, it resulted in the disempowering schemas of rejection and mistrust, which actively works in my present relationship but is not true in the case of my present relationship.
Re-framing the disempowering mental model into empowering mental model
Re-framing these disempowering mental models into the empowering ones requires efforts in modifying the already existing mental models (Kilian et. al., 2003). It is commonly known as accommodation. It can be done with the help of searching for pieces of evidence that go against my disempowering mental models. Those can be weighed, compared, and argued with the existing models. Then assigning the valences to the counter and existing mental models could be the next step. After that, measuring the valences and reality check is the final procedure that will help to accommodate the existing mental model into the empowering mental models. There can be an alternative procedure to re-frame these mental models. According to the cognitive-behavioral perspective by Aron Beck, our disempowering mental models are our dysfunctional beliefs that arise due to our cognitive distortions. Identifying and rectifying those cognitive distortions help to re-frame the mental models into empowering mental models (Fenn & Byrne, 2013). In my case, selective attribution and magnification are my cognitive distortions; therefore, re-framing the disempowering mental models to empowering models reflects the correction of my core dysfunctional schemas and beliefs. The re-framed empowering mental models are:
- My partner is different from my previous one. Every relationship is a new start rather not the continuation of the old one. Every person is different and can be trusted. The first relationship did not work, and that is okay. But it does not mean this one will not work.
- I do deserve to get loved. I am not unloved or unwanted. if I was, and then my partner would not have made efforts to stay together.
- I am important to my partner. My partner remains busy with the work so that we can settle well as fast as possible and make a bright future together, and even gives time after the work is done, consoles me, supports me through every difficulty.
Re-framing or modifying our already existing core disempowering schemas is not that easy as it looks. It needs rigorous schema analysis, which in turn evokes anxieties, makes us feel upset. But our conscious efforts, along with mindful analysis of our schema and thoughts, can make it happen one day. Re-framing our schemas helps us to function high and see the environment as it is with clarity and without biases. It helps us to maintain a healthy relationship with anyone, in particular, makes us aware of ourselves and leads us towards self-actualization.
Reference
Block, J. (1982). Assimilation, accommodation, and the dynamics of personality development. Child development, 281-295.
Busselle, R. (2017). Schema theory and mental models. The international encyclopedia of media effects, 1-8.
Fenn, K., & Byrne, M. (2013). The key principles of cognitive behavioural therapy. InnovAiT, 6(9), 579-585.
Kilian, R., Lindenbach, I., Löbig, U., Uhle, M., Petscheleit, A., & Angermeyer, M. C. (2003). Indicators of empowerment and disempowerment in the subjective evaluation of the psychiatric treatment process by persons with severe and persistent mental illness: a qualitative and quantitative analysis. Social science & medicine, 57(6), 1127-1142.