Change. For better or for worse, change is an unavoidable aspect of our lives. From the moment we are born, we are launched into a never-ending journey of change. Fundamentally, psychology is an attempt to explain why we respond to change in the ways that we do.
First, we must recognize that our behaviors rely on associations of cause and effect. The simplest example is Pavlov’s dogs. Simply put, a bell is rung right before a dog is given a treat. After many rounds of this, the dog will salivate at the sound of the bell. This conditioning can only occur because a cause is associated with an effect. Admirers of psychological theory will know that this association between cause and effect is the governing principle behind all forms of learning (classical, operant, observational). In simpler terms, the only way we learn new things is by associating a cause with an effect.
Since change is such an omnipresent force in our lives, we are forced to confront it. I propose that all humans follow a similar path of psychological development in response to change.
From a young age, we seek comfort and protection from the world. This may take the form of the child’s mother, their binkie, a favorite blanket, or a variety of other items of comfort. Unfortunately for the child, change will occur. Something will happen to separate the child from their item of comfort. At this moment the child will start to associate change with fear. They will dread the moments of change and cherish the moments of stasis. It should be no surprise that separation anxiety is a phase that almost all children go through.
Eventually, most children grow out of this fear and learn to tolerate the anxiety brought on from these separations. As the child grows, they learn that change is an inextricable part of their life. At this point, the child has two options: embrace change or resist it.
Broadly speaking, children who resist change are worse off than those who don’t. Children who resist change will constantly be fighting against the society they are placed into. In modern society, they will resist when they are sent to school. They will dislike learning and will likely have problems paying attention in class. The child will have issues developing relationships and if relationships are formed, they will struggle to abandon them. On the other hand, children who embrace change will have easier times adapting to new environments and will be more sociable with others. In modern society, they will learn information more easily and have higher levels of general well-being.
I will add a caveat that these are broad generalizations and that people who embrace change frequently make poor decisions. As established in the previous blog post, we don’t really know the things that will make us happy. It would be the corollary that we lack the introspection to make the changes that are best for us.
People frequently perceive change as a bad thing. From my perspective, this is more than understandable; we are raised from infancy to be fearful of changes. That being said, I encourage you to take an active role in your life. Don’t sit around and let things happen to you. Change is inevitable and the best thing we can do for ourselves is to be conscientious of our actions and make an active effort to embrace change.
Very interesting blog. I was surprised when you supported your answer with Pavlo’s dogs, as I got to cover it during my Psychology class. It was surprising how you could connect Pavlo’s dogs to embracing or rejecting change. Moreover, I think that change is something inherent to life and we should embrace it. I sometimes have problems because I can’t let go of the past.
I really enjoyed reading about your opinions on how we react to change. In my blog post, I had mentioned the idea that the older we get, the less open to knew ideas we are. I think this also has to do with what you said about change. The more comfortable we get in one headspace, the less likely we are to want to change our lives. This results in very stagnant, close-minded people who are unwilling to adapt. I appreciated how after writing the majority of the blog post from an analytical standpoint you then encouraged readers to strive for change.
I really learned a lot from this. The graph you included definitely added to your post, and I was surprised that such a high percentage of children experience separation anxiety. The article on classical conditioning was also new to me, and I might read up more about that.
I think you’re right in that change can be beneficial to us. Many of us will go through changes in our life so there is no use fighting it. For me though, I am kind of fearful of certain changes but I am still open to them. I like how you mentioned when children grow out of the fear of separation they learn to tolerate the anxiety brought on from the separation of what they are used too. Resisting change can do more harm than good especially when you can benefit from these changes.