RFT and magical thinking in childhood
March 15, 2008 - 11:38am — Francis De Groot
RFT and magical thinking: hypothesis
A hypothesis: is it possible that the period of ‘magical thinking’ in the development of children (enduring until adulthood) is depending on the development of processes central in RFT: developing of mutual entailment, literality of thoughts, reason giving and causal thinking? When children are developing those skills, but aren’t fully acquainted with them, they might more easily fall in the traps of magical thinking.
Possible test: children who are later in developing those skills, should show delayed magical thinking too (and vice versa).
Francis De Groot
francis.de.groot@fracarita.org
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Comments
No magic there
If I am I correct in thinking that this was the phase where I thought if my whole body was covered by my bedsheets and I concentrated really hard, then my bed would magically look like there was no one there and the monsters in my closet would leave me alone?
I do not know of another account that can get you core behavioral processes to describe/predict/influence these kind of events. But, the repertiore is far more than mutual entailment. I would think that 'magical thinking' is the culmination of significant verbal abtraction involving several frames. From what I have read of your post, it seems that there is an assumed error in this 'thinking' (eg, the monsters could really see that I was still in the bed ;-). What I infer is that 1) the magical thinkers' repertiores are beginning elaborate in complex ways; 2) these ways are shaped by their verbal communities (I think my mom gave me the strategy to cover myself); 3) as these relational repertiores become elaborated they are shaped by social contingencies that strengthen and weaken both the context and form (my 7 year old daughter may need a little weakening as she still packs books every night to read to the lost boys in case Peter Pan comes to take her to Neverland).
I would agree that those who show deficits/delays in acquiring strong relational repertiores will be delayed in magical thinking. Consider the autistic child who has acquired some language in structural form ("What is your name?" "My name is Nick.") but still lacks that qualitative essence of language. I bet they aren't showing magical thinking. I also bet as they develop reltional repertiors that (if the verbal community encourages) they will beging to show signs of this.
DARIN you out there?
Magical Thinking
Hey Francis-
Could you clarify "magical thinking" for me? What does it look like? When does it occur? Who studies it? I will be better able to jump in on your question with a little more info.
Thanks
Nick B.
Magical thinking
Hi Nick,
With 'magical thinking' I'm refering to the pre-operational developmental stage (Piaget) of children - 2 - 6 y. The period when they try to influence reality by thinking or not thinking about things that could happen, keep their finger on the wall while walking, ... This is the period the inner and outer reality are kind of mixed up. Possibly due to the elaboration of relational frames. Before children where possibly living more contingency-shaped and by then direct experiences are loosing their top-position.
I think.
regards,
Francis