Control and Action

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Self-regulation is said to be one of the most important skills a human being can develop for a prosperous and emotionally healthy life. Self-regulation is the capacity to voluntarily control one’s impulses and also to start doing something or take action as required. It is the best tool against idleness, emotional outbursts, and ‘couch potato’ syndrome. Control and action are both triggered by self-regulation or the lack thereof.

Self-regulation applies to behavior as it applies to learning strategies. It could be a little controversial to describe how self-regulation in relationship to behavior when our society teaches that we can do whatever we want whenever we want, although we have constantly seen the consequences of that mentality in the daily news. Self-regulation challenges the notion that our behavior doesn’t affect others therefore is private and personal. However, self-regulation is a human capacity that differentiate us from beasts and wild animals. We can decide to stop a behavior or to initiate a behavior accordingly based on our capacity to interpret actions and consequences symbolically. Without that capacity we won’t be able to consider how different paths of action would produce environmental responses affecting our behavior in a positive or negative way. That’s where self-regulation and learning dance together.

There is a behavior reality and a cognitive reality when it comes to self-regulation, but where does it develop first? From a behaviorist perspective we develop self-regulation through trial an error. A baby requires guidance in order to learn to control certain behaviors that are not socially acceptable. The person in charge to provide an initial image of society acceptance is the parent. Of course, when a parent allows the child to do whatever they want whenever they want the image of society develops in distortion of reality. Do I need to write about the consequences or product of this distortion or are you getting me?

From a cognitive perspective behavior and environmental interpretation go hand in hand from the time we are born. A child begins interpreting environmental responses in relationship with actions. Best example is when they cry, you hold them, they stop crying, you put them down, they cry, you hold them, they stop crying, and so on. Babies can’t articulate when they are hungry but can let you know clearly and they know that in doing that they get fed. As humans grow older, behaviors are more complicated and the environmental interpretations do too.

I Want Something Else

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Bas-Relief Sculptures

Several years ago I began teaching children with disabilities. I entered an uncharted territory and had no idea what to expect. It was an adventure from the start. I learned a lot about human behavior during those years.

“I want something else!”

That was the cry of one of my students. She repeated this words until she was screaming her heart out. Nothing could calm her down. Until her attention was diverted she would continue claiming she wanted something else but she would never say what she wanted. In multiple occasions I took walks with her trying to calm her down. During our walks she asked the same set of questions in the same sequence several times, “What are we doing after that?” She wanted to know what she was doing next after the walk and five or six events after that until the agenda of the day was completed.

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Wind by Ivan Tirado

I don’t think we are so different from her. We often want something else. You heard this before, “The grass is always greener on the other side”. We are always searching for something different from what we have, but we can’t tell what it is. We often want to know details of the future ahead of us. We want to be certain we covered all the bases. We want to make sure we are in control. The truth is we never are. We may claim we are but we are not even knowing what the future holds or knowing what we want, we are not. Honestly, that is a good thing.

Wanting something else provides an opportunity for hope. It allow us to consider the difference between need and want. Not being in control allow us to be thankful of the now. The past teaches us how we got here, how to live today, and to work hard for a better future. We can’t be idle but constantly moving towards our goals with the compass of hope.

Influence and Influenced

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AQUA

AQUA

We influence our environment as our environment influences us. We are not in total control over our circumstances but neither totally controlled by our circumstances. This is something I aim to project in my artwork. You may notice in my work the composition of a calm figure with a peaceful demeanor surrounded by a very dynamic and often chaotic environment. We can’t control what happens around us but we can choose to assume self-control and self-regulation to influence our environment. This is one of the principles of  Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Triadic Reciprocal Determinism (TRD). It might sound a little complicated but it is not.

For several years now I’ve been immersed in trying to understand how people learn. I know it is not as cool as being an artist but learning and teaching are areas in which I’m very passionate about, and it is also part of my research. According to SCT and TRD our perception of who we are and what we can do is determined by the interaction of 3 factors: environment, behavior, and cognitive factors. I will explain in greater detail how these factors interact and how they affect our perception of ourselves and our capabilities. These factors also affect how we interact in social settings (Stay tuned for that post)… I bet you didn’t know that! Well, yes, I am a scholar too.

Today is a good day to consider how the environment is influencing us. Are we letting our circumstances take total control of who we are? Have we consider our role to influence our environment? We are not in control of our circumstances, I understand that. Nevertheless, we cannot be controlled by our circumstances. In the middle of the craziness surrounding us we can still be in peace and making a difference not only in our lives but the lives of others.

Welcome to my brain

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the-artistImagine for a moment that you want to focus a blog based on your experience in a particular field. Experience on a field of knowledge comes generally from academics or work. Sometimes we gain experience in other ways vicariously or intentionally. In my case, I had work in a few different things and loved different areas of my academic fields enough to share from these experiences. My mind map for a blog would probably look like a maze where each turn from one experience in one field crosses over experiences in other fields. Sounds complicated? Imagine you are inside a brain with work experience in radio, tv, graphic design, art, education, technology, bible, motivational speech and comedy. Interestingly, I learn and teach with a holistic vision. If you read my teaching statement you may understand what I mean. In this blog I’ll be writing about many things that may seem random but each thought is interconnected in the way I approach life. It is also reflected in my art, my research, my interest in the human brain and behavior, my way of teaching, and just in my private meditation and contemplation. I am planing to share some of my research, the subject of future research ideas (sounds boring but it is not), experiences in classes and workshops, my thoughts as I approach my art, and my meditations about life in general. Maybe in a few months I could put it all together and make a book.