Month: January 2013

January 16, 2013

The President wants studies done? Well, I started one.

Today, the President of the United States gave his response to the “gun violence” problem in America. If I read it correctly, he is tasking/asking the CDC to research gun violence. Mr. President, I have started the research for you! Maybe save the taxpayers (debtors) a few bucks.

In 2010 I wrote and submitted a casual research paper for my graduate work in psychology. The topic wasn’t gun violence but a rather a paper that addresses the causes of these tragedies, like the most recent in Connecticut. I left out the literature review and some other, quite boring, details from the research paper as they would make this post VERY LONG. Here is the synopsis:

Abstract

The term psychopathy has long been noted as an evil outlier of human behavior that is thought to be attributable to only a small percentage of the entire population of the United States. The purpose of this paper and study is to create awareness of and support a hypothesis that the choices and actions at a societal level are creating and psychopaths. Further society is making psychopathy the new normal behavior in the United States, by the changing cultural values and societal boundaries which mold each new generation. A brief literature review has been conducted and included in this paper that will describe in greater detail individual characteristics that will support the overarching hypothesis proposed. Also in an effort to support this hypothesis a phenomenological study has been designed that will research previously written information on the subject and provide a study that collects new data on the subject.

Causal Factors for the Increasing Prevalence of Sociopaths in American Society

Can psychopathic behavior be taught? It is the purpose of this literature review and paper to discuss and explore the hypothesis that not only can be taught, but is an every growing normative cultural phenomenon.  The hypothesis is that the literature review will support this theory and that the trends, choices and actions of the predominant culture in the United States of America are creating and nurturing sociopath. Further, the theory is that the nurturing of psychopathological behaviors will have a result of those behaviors that are currently classified as negativistic and maladaptive will become the norm for the collective US culture.

The outcome of the condition of society’s members is due to the choices, actions and guidelines set forth and judged by that society. The hypothesis is that society’s trend for values, choices and expectation has changed and the result is a negative effect on the recent generations of young people in a way that creates and promotes psychopathy. Commonly witnessed negative behaviors such as selfishness, manipulation, attention seeking and leaching can no longer be ignored by being viewed as singular groups. Collectively, these negative behaviors should be viewed as an increasing and significant trend of developing and nurturing psychopathy in our young people.

Based on the information received through the brief literature review, It is concluded that the hypothesis is worthy of pursuit of further study. American society has morphed into a culture of “me” and materialism and “anything goes” beliefs. Systems such as the church and authority institutions have been eliminated or neutered through the constant onslaught of excuses, justifications and moral erosion of wrong-doing citizens.

The Problems

Any behavior can be taught if it is physically possible to enact. Stepping away form an encapsulated concept of “should” and “ought”, a rational and logical observer can conceptual the following: A baby born and raised in family that does not promote social interaction and teaches that the child must “look out” for herself first, at all costs has a high probability of acting out in behaviors that promote her early learning. Conversely, a child who is raised in a home that promotes learning, morals, values, caring for other, altruism and a respect for others will more than likely have a higher probability of acting out with respect to her early learning.

In the United States, some cultural and societal factors that promote psychopathic tendencies are: lack of remorse modeling, encouragement of leaching, reduction of consequences, erosion of moral and other authority, technological advances resulting in social and interpersonal connectedness, self-centered modeling, and superficial behaviors modeling.

Definitions

Psychopathy is a learned behavior and not a genetic malfunction. Harenski et al describe psychopathy as “the willingness to intentionally commit moral transgressions against others without guilt or remorse.” The DSM IV-TR does not specifically address psychopathy as a disorder, but rather uses Antisocial Personality Disorder. Another kindred term for similar behaviors and choices is “sociopath”. It is collectively though that the differences between a psychopath and psychopathy are the degrees of danger each pose to society. It is believed that sociopaths are equally disconnected from others, but far less dangerous in the behaviors.

Collective perceptions of the characteristics of a psychopathic personality are: glibness/superficial charm, grandiose sense of self-worth (invisible audience), lack of empathy, me-centered behaviors, and a lack of meaningful interpersonal relationships.

Summary

The result of the inattentive and improper actions of multiple generations has had a terrible effect on the subsequent generations. Morals and values are not taught, family cohesiveness is ever increasingly absent and the appropriate and healthy modeling of traditional America is in sharp decline. Children learn much from their caregivers, institutions and through observation learning from watching tertiary acts in their environment.

Inconsistent application of rules and even more inconsistent delivery of consequences teach more about how to be irresponsible and disconnect than helps the youth by showing care through leniency. Since the advent of the concept of precedent type of law in the late 1800’s, each allowance of less-than ideal behavior becomes a reason for being allowed to engage in future negativistic behaviors by others, thus eventually becoming the normative behavior in the culture. This study will demonstrate many of the points outlined in the literature review.

— R. A. Grier

January 14, 2013

Click your heels together three times…

I am past the point of thinking that people care about what happens to our future in this country. Really, I am. I am now trying to figure out the best way to capitalize on the stupidity so that my family is safe and secure in their future. I spend a significant amount of time and resources ensuring those goals.

For those out there who are scratching their rational heads, wondering how people don’t care; I have the answer! It is simple operant conditioning! Operant conditioning the behavior resulting from a series of consequences. Don’t get hung up on consequences being ONLY BAD. Consequences are just the results of actions and can be good or bad.

Previously in history, people’s behaviors often were shaped by the results of those behaviors and the projected outcomes of similar behaviors in the future. An example would be not paying a loan on time or at all. In the past, the note would be called and the borrower would be without the item as well and having incurred significant penalties as well as having a negative mark in their credit history that stayed for a very long time. The good consequences for paying your bills on time would be that you got to purchase and keep stuff as well as increase you future potential purchasing power as far as credit goes. The bad consequences for not paying your bills on time would be penalties, repossession, poor credit and limited future potential buying power on credit.

I am not speaking about money solely, but using it as just one example. In the past, if you broke the law, you went to jail. If you cussed a teacher, you got severely corrected. If you talked back to your parents, you got severely corrected and so on and so forth. There was an unpleasant result for poor choices whether that unpleasant result was contrived or not. Receiving an unpleasant consequence TAUGHT A LESSON ABOUT  choosing wisely and thinking ahead. However, that was the past.

What happens when you get what you want regardless of what you do? What happens when consequences are only good? Well, look around in America today. We are experiencing the consequences of more than a few generations being raised that way. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you get what you want! Test scores are leveled for the sake of fairness. Everybody gets a trophy. Everything is a “right” now and must be provided for every inhabitant by the FEDGOV. People stay in their homes regardless of never being able to afford the home when they “purchased” it. The system of justice is fragmented and hit-miss as far as consequences AND our laws are about WIN-LOSE rather than right or wrong. “Somebody else will take care of it, because I don’t have to, BECAUSE it doesn’t directly affect ME.”

So, how does this translate into government? Who chooses our elected officials? That’s right! The masses of “me, me, me” select the people who will reinforce their comfort. The people who are chosen to “lead” will serve at the will of the electorate and ensure the comforts keep going because THEY WANT THEIR COMFORTS AND POWER to boot!!! They are doing their jobs which is to follow the wishes and goals of their electorate.

It all is very simple, really. Effort to “do” in order to “get” IS TAUGHT!!! There is no real compunction anymore for people to make efforts. They are going to get what they want anyway. Pragmatism dictates that it is the best practice to get the most for the least. It makes sense! My questions now center on the global rather than being socioocentric and focusing only on the US.  If the rest of the world plays the same tune, then there will be VERY LITTLE motivation to change anything.

If I don’t pay my mortgage and the bank is forced to forgive it by the government, what happens when the government doesn’t pay its debt to the global community? Will it be forgiven just the same? If so, then forget about raging against the machine. You will actually be wrong in the new world order and more than likely receive bad consequences for your poor choices. It’s the old “switcharoo”. However, if the rest of the world decides to provide bad consequences for our nation’s actions, then HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT! It will be a bumpy ride.

Things may go back to the way they used to be. Until then just do whatever you want to feel good. However, if the lack of common sense and rational actions gets really uncomfortable for you just close your eyes and click your heels together three times…

— R. A. Grier