Co-Cz

 

 

Cognitive Development: the cognitive (mental) changes which take place as person gets older.

Cognitive-Developmental theories attempt to describe and explain how someone’s thinking changes with age. Much of the focus in Cognitive Developmental research has tended to be on the development of children’s mental abilities. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is arguably the most well-known of these.

Ostensibly Cognitive-Developmental might seem very similar in concept to Psychodynamic; but, in practice, the two approaches are usually very different.

Cognitive Developmental tends to focus on how the mind works - eg: memory, attention, perception, intelligence and - and tends to be based on hard, experimental research. Psychodynamic, on the other hand, has an emphasis on motivation and morality and is often based on observation and inference. That said, Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development is often considered a Cognitive-Developmental theory. The Graves Model and its Spiral Dynamics build can be seen as both Cognitive-Developmental and Psychodynamic.

 

Cognitive Dissonance: the unpleasant state an individual experiences when they hold two schemas (ideas, beliefs, attitudes) which are psychologically inconsistent with each other.

 

Cognitive Labelling Theory: the concept developed by Stanley Schachter & Jerome Singer that emotional experiences are preceded by a generalised state of physiological arousal which is then given a 'label' according to the context in which the experience takes place and with reference to similar past experiences.
In other words, existing schemas will provide (usually) a frame of reference by which we make sense of what we feel about our experiences.

 

Cognitive Map:

 

Cognitive Primacy:

Cognitive Psychology: this approach links internal mental processes to behaviour and thus attempts to understand how those processes work. Memory, perception, thoughts, language and attention are all topics that the Cognitive approach works to understand. With the advent of computers, many Cognitive psychologists have used data processing analogies to understand mental processes. NLP draws much from the Cognitive approach.

 

Cognitive Therapy:

 

Cognitive Triad: developed in essence by Lyn Abramson, Martin Seligman & John Teasdale and popularised as a key analytical tool by Aaron Beck, this model looks at how people attribute the causes of problems and the consequent effect on mental health (particularly Depression). The 3 factors are:-

• Internal/External - do I attribute success/failure to myself or to other people/circumstances?
• Timeless/Timbound (aka Stable/Unstable) - is the cause permanent or will it come to an end?
• Global/Specific - does it apply to a wide range of situations - perhaps even everything?- or does it apply to one particular scenario?

People suffering from Depression often attribute success to others, failure to themselves and have a global/timeless perception of their problems.
The Cognitive Triad can be linked with the Meta-States model to understand how belief systems are formed.

 

Cognitive Windback: the taking back of someone in their thought processes to look at the decisions which led to an (unpleasant/unhealthy) effect so that alternatives can be considered as a means of reflective learning.

 

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): an approach in Psychotherapy developed from the work of such leading Cognitive psychologists as Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck, CBT focuses on tackling the maladaptive schemas which undermine self-esteem and self-efficacy, underpin depressive behaviour and fuel phobias.
The many varieties of CBT in essence focus on challenging the reality of unhealthy beliefs and helping clients assimilate more helpful beliefs. Usually Behaviourist strategies are used concurrently to assist in breaking down unrewarding or self-defeating habits in thought and behaviour - such as avoidant behaviour (a form of Negative Reward) - and setting up more positive activity patterns.
Programmes of CBT have been shown unequivocally to be as effective as medication - and without the side-effects! - in treating many phobias and mild-medium Depression. CBT is often used as a concurrent strategy with medication in dealing with forms of Schizophrenia and Manic Depressive Psychosis.

 

Collaborative Empiricism:

 

Collective Unconscious: according to Carl Gustav Jung, this is a part of our unconscious which we share with other members of our culture and which is ‘peopled’ with common archetypes. It is said to be an innate remnant of our ancestral past.

 

Collectivism: the notion that members of the family/tribal unit/societal grouping put the interests of the group before self-interest.

Individuals in collectivist environments tend to share tasks, belongings and income. Interdependence is usually highly valued. There is an emphasis on ‘we’ as opposed to ‘I’.

Communal Relationship: Margaret Clark & Judson Mills distinguished this kind of relationship, in which the participants focus on meeting the other's needs, from 'economic' concepts such as Social Exchange Theory and Equity Theory.
The behavioural patterns of a Communal Relationship are likely to be governed more by the vMEMES of the conformist/sacrifice-self side of the Spiral.

Communism: a political system and set of beliefs that stresses shared ownership of property by the group or community.

 

Companionate Love: more than liking, this term suggests an entwined relationship - though not the ups and downs of passionate love. This is said to be the kind of love shared between close family and close friends.

It develops through mutual rewards, familiarity, steady and positive emotions, and tends to deepen over time. Kin Selection may also be a prime influence in developing companionate love with close family members.

 

Complexity Theory: addresses the study of complex systems. It includes subjects such as chaos theory, artificial life and algorhythms and draws upon fields such as Mathematics, Engineering, Biology and Philosophy.

 

Comorbidity:

Concordance Rate: the degree to which a condition occurs in two settings, people or groups of people. Concordance rates from studies of monozygotic twins - from the same egg, having identical genotypes - are considered the most accurate in determining the likely genetic element in the predisposition to develop a wide range of conditions, from cancer to Schizophrenia.

 

Confirmation Bias:

 

Confounding Variable: see variable.

 

Conscious Mind: is said to be those things of which we are aware - paying attention to in Cognitive Psychology terms - including self-awareness (thought to be a primary distinguishing feature of the 'higher animals'). The conscious mind can be said to be using what is in short-term memory.

 

Continuity Hypothesis:

 

Core: see Capitalist World Metropolis.

 

Corpus Callosum: the bundle of nerve fibres which connects the right and left hemispheres of the cerebrum. The corpus callosum tends to be thicker in most female brains, indicating more connections between the two halves. This is considered to be a key reason for women (in general!) having better organised brains.

 

Correspondent Inference Theory: A theory of Attribution which suggests that we explain the behaviour of others by making observations and inferring a corresponding attitude or disposition.

Cortisol: hormone produced in the adrenal glands associated with elevated and elongated levels of physiological arousal, usually due to stress.

Covariable: see variable.

 

Covariation Theory: Harold Kelley’s theory of Attribution which proposes that explanations for behaviour are based on the tendency for two things to vary jointly - ie: covary.

 

Critical Period: a period of time after birth during which a specific behaviour or ability is acquired or develops.

 

Critical Success Value: a value which determines the quality of a relationship with another (person or organisation) - eg: speed of delivery might be a CSV in a customer-supplier relationship.

 

Critical Values Mass: the concept of critical mass from a Spiral Dynamics perspective - ie: the assertion of a vMEME or vMEME harmonic in a group or societal situation sufficient for that way of thinking to dominate.

 

Cross-Cultural Studies:

 

Cult of Personality: usually applied in the context of political leaders, this terms refers to the use of mass media to create a larger-than-life super persona of the leader through unquestioning praise and flattery. Recent examples include Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Kim Jong-il in North Korea.

Cultural Relativism: this approach takes the view that philosophies, ethics and behaviours of groups or individuals must be judged in the context of the culture and the times from which they originate. For example, hearing voices in your head is generally considered abnormal in the modern Western world; yet to not hear 'spirit voices' would be considered unfortunate in many traditional Amerindian tribes, and it is not uncommon to have conversations with your ancestors in parts of Central and Southern Africa.

 

Culture: the shared understandings - histories, rules, morals, ethics and other ways of thinking - and the common behaviours (including methods of interaction) that bind a group of people and give them a sense of unified identity. We learn the memes of our host culture through its media and interactions with other members of the culture. See also sub-culture.