Choice Theory, developed by psychiatrist William Glasser, says that all
of our behavior is our best attempt, at any given time, to meet one or more
of 5 genetically determined needs: survival,
power and respect,
freedom, fun, and
love and belonging. Even though someone's
behavior may appear to be counterproductive or even destructive, it is
always purposeful, whether or not the actor is consciously in touch with his
or her reasons for behaving the way s/he does. In our heads we have created
a Quality (ideal) World composed of the sum total of all of our
Quality Pictures (i.e., those people, things, and conditions that are
important to us). If we take a picture( for example, of a friend or of
school) out of our Quality World, that person, thing, or situation is no
longer considered relevant in our life. When the pictures in the real world don't match those in
our Quality World, our scales are out of balance, and we are
motivated to act.Glasser considers behavior to consist of four
components:
- Action, or what we can see happening
- Thinking, that is, the thought processes accompanying the action
- Feelings that are associated with the action
- Physiology, that is, the body's reactions to what is happening, for
example, increased heart rate, indigestion, headache
The two aspects of behavior that we have the most conscious control over
are actions and thoughts; if these two change, feelings and physiology will
follow. Therefore, Choice Theory focuses on actions and cognition.
Feelings and physiology can, however, provide clues that are useful in
identifying and understanding a situation, particularly when an individual
learns to question the feelings and tie them to the thoughts that are
generating them.
To emphasize the basic tenet of the theory-- we choose our behavior--
adjectives are transformed into verb forms. For example, say out loud, "I am
depressed". Now say out loud, "I am depressing" or "I am choosing to
depress";
Notice the mental and emotional shift that occurs? You have the power to
choose what you think and do, which in turn will affect your physical and
emotional well-being. How many times do people say something like, "He makes
me so mad!"
In reality, they have chosen to react in a particular way to an event. A
person practicing Choice Theory would say," I am angering" or "I am choosing
to be angry". Choice Theory offers a very liberating and empowering approach
to life, in contrast to the paradigm Glasser refers to as external
control psychology. Under
external control psychology, we attribute control of lives to things
outside of ourselves and we attempt to control other people via various
rewards and punishments. Choice Theory recognizes that the only person we
truly have control over is ourselves, and as we let go of the desire
to control others and take responsibility for our own behavior we also let
go of the misery and frustration we inflict. The result is improved
relationships, which Glasser says is the key to happiness. |
