Keith E Rice - Using this Site

1. Using this site as a resource base

If are using this site to develop your knowledge of Spiral Dynamics, 4Q/8L, the models of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) or any other aspects of what Integrated SocioPsychology is becoming, then you will find much to interest and (hopefully!) challenge you. Please look through the menus or use the Search feature on the Home Page to find what you are looking for. There is also much that will support students of conventional/academic Psychology and Sociology.

A primary aim of this site is to develop the paradigm of ‘Integrated SocioPsychology’ by ‘re-imagining’ the behavioural sciences - ie: putting Spiral Dynamics and certain other key models at their core and assuming, from that premise, that all the differing schools, concepts and models in the behavioural sciences can be aligned and integrated along ‘the spine of the Spiral’.

The process of developing Integrated SocioPsychology is, inevitably, slow. There is simply so much to record and interpret and map - and pertinent new research is being published almost continuously. Such is the challenge I doubt this web site will be anything like complete by the time I die!

For academic students...a fundamental difference...
If you are using this site to find information/resources for studying academic qualifications, then you can rest assured that the material on this site will stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny. A substantial portion of the material was originally developed with the aim of providing A-Level and undergraduate students with resources to support their study. The intention is to maintain those standards of academic integrity throughout the site. The Bibliography provides a near-complete list of original sources referenced in the text on this site.)

However, you will find that several of the Integrated SocioPsychology/'real world' applications of Psychology and Sociology espoused on this site are non-specification!

Students need to be aware of a fundamental difference between pages on this site and what is generally found in ‘academia’. Integrated SocioPsychology works to align the different approaches in the behavioural sciences. However, the tendency in academia - reflected in most exam specifications - is to be adversarial, rather than integrative. (You should note that definitions in the Glossary are more integrative than adversarial and reflect the broader theme of this site - ie: to integrate and align the behavioural sciences.)

Overall the academic approach may not be much help in sorting out 'real world' problems; but, to some degree, it is valid from a scientific point of view. Part of the scientist's role is to test ideas and challenge 'givens', develop new theories and modify or even refute existing ones.

Unfortunately the history of the behavioural sciences is littered with professional challenges that developed into rather unprofessional disputes and conflicts. However, without the willingness to challenge existing ideas, the development of knowledge tends to be rather slow!

Also, there is the issue that sometimes what is taught in academia is influenced by what is ‘in vogue’. As Paul Feyeraband (1975) points out, what is accepted in academia is sometimes influenced by who shouts loudest rather than the quality of the work. One of the most potent examples of the divide between academia and the ‘real world’ is the way Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is almost ignored in many Psychology specifications - yet it is arguably the most widely-used psychological model outside of academia, in a range of applications from social care to marketing to business studies.

Students interested in developing their understanding of the behavioural sciences beyond the exam specifications will find a wealth of information to deepen your understanding of Psychology and Sociology and how they can be applied practically to make a positive difference in the lives of ‘real people’. Consequently, you may find your exam board specification limiting and frustrating.

What this site is not

It is not an online text book for any particular exam specification.

It reflects the 2 reasons the material on it has been created...

Specifically the development and promotion of Integrated SocioPsychology, based around certain key theories and models such as Spiral Dynamics
Materials developed originally for teaching elements of standard academic specifications which fit into the Integrated SocioPsychology framework and add to its overall body of knowledge. Students are strongly recommended to be familiar enough with your chosen exam specification to work out what you can use from this site in your studies and what is beyond the specification. If in doubt, ask your teacher. If your teacher is in doubt, they are invited to get in touch with me via the Contact page.

Using this site to source information

This site contains topic pages on models and theories, articles and features on topics, case studies and key studies, and topic mind maps - the latter two having originated from materials designed for delivering to standard academic specifications.

Topic mind maps form a substantial number of the resources for those studying for academic qualifications. They are intended as skeletal outlines of key points on which students can build a body of substantial revision notes. To help with this, many branches contain extra hidden detail. Simply click on the pen & papersymbol to reveal the 'hidden notes'!

Other symbols and colour codes used in the mind maps are as follows:-

Branches in standard black text provide basic information on theories, concepts and experiments/investigations/studies
Branches in green with a tick symbol provide supporting evidence for a concept and/or theory
Branches in red with a red stop sign symbol provide evidence which does not support and may even contradict findings, a concept and/or theory
Branches in dark blue with a question mark indicate further research is required
Branches in purple with a bomb symbol call into question assumptions being made
Branches in black with a caution sign indicate some further care needed
Branches in black with a green arrow symbolise one thing leading to another
Branches in light blue with a book symbol indicate a link to a detailed key study - eg: in APFCC format (Aims, Procedures/Methodolgy, Findings/Results, Conclusions, Criticisms/Evaluation)

(To refresh yourself about the meaning of the symbols, simply click the Icon Legend pop-up which accompanies the mind maps.)

Although a key aim of this site is to provide resources which meet academic standards, another aim is to make them user-friendly to the non-academic. Thus, it is hoped the language and presentation used are intended to be highly user-friendly and very accessible. I welcome all constructive suggestions as to how to improve the resources.

Students viewing these pages who do find any discrepancies between the resources and what has been taught in their classes - you are advised strongly to consult your teacher.

Teachers who find any error in the resources - please advise me of the error so I can correct it as appropriate.

When reading about references to situations and/or research, visitors (academic or otherwise) should please bear in mind that there is an inevitable cultural bias throughout this site. Situations discussed either are located in the UK geographically or apply to the UK socially/culturally - though the issues discussed may equally apply elsewhere geographically. Situations and topics which have little or no relevance to the UK or have global significance primarily are housed in the Global section. Psychological/sociological research discussed will almost always have been carried out in the UK or the USA unless indicated otherwise.

In a site this size covering so many domains in the behavioural sciences, keeping every page up to date with the very latest research is a mighty challenge and inevitably some pages may become out of date from time to time. All pages were accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of last updating.

All mind maps, graphics and articles are created/written by myself unless credited otherwise and are subject to the usual copyright restrictions. Please get in touch via the Contact page if you are unsure whether your use of the resources will breach copyright.

2. Using this site to learn how I can help you

The Services pages contain the portfolio of Consultancy, Training, Coaching & Mentoring and Personal Therapy services I offer on a commercial basis. In these pages you can also find a number of case studies of the work I have done. All the services I offer are fully customisable to the client’s needs. Please get in touch via the Contact page to discuss your specific needs.