Jan D. Sinnott
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199892815
- eISBN:
- 9780199388585
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199892815.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology
We currently struggle to create satisfying intimate or close relationships, something we yearn for but often fail to achieve in our evolving world culture. With our changing concepts of and demands ...
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We currently struggle to create satisfying intimate or close relationships, something we yearn for but often fail to achieve in our evolving world culture. With our changing concepts of and demands on close relationships, we need new ways to understand what facilitates satisfying close relationships. In this book, a new theory, called postformal thought, is presented, along with previously unpublished related studies and research approaches and the idea that complex cognition is useful for co-constructing satisfying intimate relationships. The personal relational aspects of relationships as well as cultural, historical, and social factors are combined to give a big-picture view of cognitive aspects of thriving close relationships. The book rests on 30 years of research in adult cognitive development and on other recent empirical research conducted by the author and others. Cases are presented to illustrate the thinking of persons in close and satisfying relationships. Future research and applications are suggested in the final section of the book.Less
We currently struggle to create satisfying intimate or close relationships, something we yearn for but often fail to achieve in our evolving world culture. With our changing concepts of and demands on close relationships, we need new ways to understand what facilitates satisfying close relationships. In this book, a new theory, called postformal thought, is presented, along with previously unpublished related studies and research approaches and the idea that complex cognition is useful for co-constructing satisfying intimate relationships. The personal relational aspects of relationships as well as cultural, historical, and social factors are combined to give a big-picture view of cognitive aspects of thriving close relationships. The book rests on 30 years of research in adult cognitive development and on other recent empirical research conducted by the author and others. Cases are presented to illustrate the thinking of persons in close and satisfying relationships. Future research and applications are suggested in the final section of the book.
Jan D. Sinnott
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199892815
- eISBN:
- 9780199388585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199892815.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Postformal thought appears key to adult development, learning, wisdom, and mature functional satisfying relationships. The concepts and skills of postformal thought derive from ...
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Postformal thought appears key to adult development, learning, wisdom, and mature functional satisfying relationships. The concepts and skills of postformal thought derive from cognitive-developmental theory, Native wisdom traditions, and new sciences such as quantum physics, chaos theory, theories of self-organizing systems, and general systems theory. Postformal thought is a type of complex logical thinking that develops in adulthood when we interact with other people whose views about some aspect of reality are different from ours. It allows a person to deal with everyday reasoning contradictions by letting that person understand that reality and the meaning of events are co-created with others. Both objectivity and a necessary subjectivity are useful in our epistemological understanding of the world. Postformal thought enables an adult to bridge two contradictory scientifically reasoning positions and reach an adaptive synthesis of them.Less
Postformal thought appears key to adult development, learning, wisdom, and mature functional satisfying relationships. The concepts and skills of postformal thought derive from cognitive-developmental theory, Native wisdom traditions, and new sciences such as quantum physics, chaos theory, theories of self-organizing systems, and general systems theory. Postformal thought is a type of complex logical thinking that develops in adulthood when we interact with other people whose views about some aspect of reality are different from ours. It allows a person to deal with everyday reasoning contradictions by letting that person understand that reality and the meaning of events are co-created with others. Both objectivity and a necessary subjectivity are useful in our epistemological understanding of the world. Postformal thought enables an adult to bridge two contradictory scientifically reasoning positions and reach an adaptive synthesis of them.
Jan D. Sinnott
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199892815
- eISBN:
- 9780199388585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199892815.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology
This chapter summarizes the outline of the book, which describes some underlying cognitive processes that interact with emotional and social factors to support satisfying interactions in close ...
More
This chapter summarizes the outline of the book, which describes some underlying cognitive processes that interact with emotional and social factors to support satisfying interactions in close relationships. The book offers a new way of thinking about relationships and may be a rich starting point for research and applications in many settings, for example, in therapy. The information presented explains one way in which complex problem-solving skills can make intimate relationships richer and more satisfying. It develops an extension of the author’s theory and research program on the development and uses of complex postformal thought during adulthood and aging.Less
This chapter summarizes the outline of the book, which describes some underlying cognitive processes that interact with emotional and social factors to support satisfying interactions in close relationships. The book offers a new way of thinking about relationships and may be a rich starting point for research and applications in many settings, for example, in therapy. The information presented explains one way in which complex problem-solving skills can make intimate relationships richer and more satisfying. It develops an extension of the author’s theory and research program on the development and uses of complex postformal thought during adulthood and aging.
