In the previous part, we defined learned helplessness – it occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to aversive stimuli, that it cannot avoid or escape. Eventually, the animal will stop making any efforts to improve the situation, making itself believe that it has no control over the stimulus. Even when the animal is presented […]
Author Archives: nandita
14
Jul
Jul
In the last part of this series, we shall be talking about the last baby of the documentary – Hattie – and then concluding the series! Hattie. This urban newborn is introduced to us embraced in the arms of her father. Next we see her being read to by her mother. Hattie is a city […]
14
Jul
Jul
Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, writer and political activist, and one of the central figures in 20th Century French philosophy. He is best known as the main figurehead of the Existential movement. In his writing, ‘The Work of Art’, Sartre first establishes clearly that he does not wish to deal with the problem of […]
13
Jul
Jul
Nandita Kochar When things do not go as we planned, we try our best to change the situation for the better. At least that’s what we like to tell ourselves. However, research on learned helplessness shows that if we believe that the situation is out of our control then we give up and simply accept […]
13
Jul
Jul
Please read Part I before jumping into this one. In this part, we shall be talking about the next two babies – Mari and Bayar. Bayar. We are introduced to Bayar (from Bayanchandmani, Mongolia) while he is still inside his mother’s womb who herself is engaged in guided exercises, just before giving birth to the […]
12
Jul
Jul
Babies, a 2010 documentary by French director, Thomas Balmès takes up the extremely nuanced task of capturing the delicate development from birth up to the first birthday of four babies, belonging to areas that fan out across the world. The protagonists of the documentary are Ponijao, a boy from the dusty grasslands of Namibia; Bayar, […]
12
Jul
Jul
Make sure to read Part 1 first! E (evaluation): After therapists have used the “W” and “D” set of questions, they would move on to “E,” or “Evaluation.” An easy question to use that evaluates what clients are doing is, “How is that working for you?” When therapists ask this or a similar question, they […]
11
Jul
Jul
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is based on the premise that it is an individual’s distorted thoughts and subsequent beliefs about an event that results in emotional and behavioural consequences, as opposed to the event in itself. The A-B-C model under CBT explains this: activating event -> belief -> consequences. Thus, by focussing on beliefs and changing […]
11
Jul
Jul
Rationale Choice theory is the track on which the train of Reality Therapy runs. WDEP system, a technique belonging to Reality Therapy, stands for wants – doing – evaluation – planning. Each of the letters in the acronym represents a cluster of ideas and possible interventions that operationalize the underlying theory: choice theory. The […]
09
Jul
Jul
A lot of the time, individuals fall into maladaptive patterns of being without even realising it. These patterns are essentially streams of thought and behaviours that become subconscious and automatic. Soon enough, reaction takes precedence, without the individual being able to identify what triggered said reaction. Thought/mood journaling calls for consciously paying close attention to […]