ALL BEHAVIOR HAS MEANING
IN THE LEARNING PROCESS
L. George Buck
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a method of learning pastoral care in a clinical environment. This method of learning is experiential or relational in nature. John Dewey (the American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer) was one of the pioneers of experiential learning. He recognized the importance of the subjective experience of individuals as being important to learning. At the core of the CPE learning process is the on-going evaluation of one’s experience. The clinical setting affords the trainees the opportunity to experience themselves in various pastoral encounters which they are then called upon to evaluate.
Resistance to learning is an integral part of the relational learning process. Characteristically, trainees resist the change they feel is imposed upon them in a critical evaluative process. This resistance to learning is not something that happens in the trainee’s relationship with his or her supervisor; it involves the trainee’s total training experience. Whether it be the program structure, supervision, peer group involvement or clinical involvement, trainee’s resist and even fear the change that the evaluative relational learning process imposes. For as much as the person in training may want to learn (and learning involves change), change is feared and resisted. Old and familiar ways of relating are challenged and new and unknown ways of relating are resisted.
The Counsel for Clinical Training defined “Clinical Pastoral Training” as a “method of learning the dynamics if human behavior and ways of dealing with it.” Understanding the dynamics involved in resistance to learning is an important part of the teaching and learning process. Resistance to learning is not something that is either a positive or a negative dynamic—it just is.
What follows are some of the ways trainee’s resist the learning process:
Asking “how to” questions (how, why, when or should).
Many trainees, especially in the beginning feel dependent upon others to give them answers to relational concerns. Understandably, the beginner is often confused and uncertain about their professional role. Accordingly, when the trainee does not feel professionally competent, they may ask such questions as:
· “How do I relate to this depressed cancer patient?”
· “How should I have responded to the patient’s anger?”
· “Should I have confronted this man about his unrealistic religious beliefs?”
Such questions, sincere as they are, avoid evaluating one’s relational involvement. The trainee often resists taking the risks necessary in the experiential learning process.
By putting on an appearance of being ignorant or confused.
Often, when a trainee feels threatened they will claim to be ignorant or confused as to what is expected of them. Such behavior may cause the other person to give repeated explanations. And regardless of how many times something is explained, the trainee may try to avoid self reflection or self involvement by claiming, “I just don’t understand.”
This may cause the other person to become defensive in the light of repeated attempts
to explain the situation. Again, appearing ignorant or confused can be a resistive way of avoiding the relational learning process.
(3) By claiming individual uniqueness that you cannot understand.
This, of course, is a resistive and effective way of avoiding dialogue. By putting up a defensive shield that insists that the other person cannot possibly understand your uniqueness, the trainee attempts to avoid hearing or reflecting on what is being communicated. In claiming, “I’m different, therefore, this does not apply to me”, is a way of resisting identifying and evaluating oneself in relation to others. As was pointed out, this kind of resistance is often a reaction when the trainee feels threatened.
(4) By stating, “That’s just the way I am”.
In an effort to resist reflecting and possible change the trainee may defensively state, “Well, that’s just the way I am”. This is a way to cut off dialogue with the other person who may be threatening the trainee’s self image. To state that you are just who you are and that’s that, is to state that there is no further need to pursue the issue and that you just want to be left alone. Holding onto one’s self-image (however frail it may be) is often safer than unknown change.
(5) By talking (or writing) in detail.
The trainee who is resisting self-reflection may do so by putting up a shield of details. In an attempt to keep others at a distance, the trainee may give detailed descriptions of a pastoral experience. This can involve minute descriptions of the patient’s illness, the patient’s family and religious background, the patient’s reactions to his illness and so on. For example, a verbatim or case study report may be filled with so much detail that there isn’t time left in the seminar to evaluate the trainees involvement.
(6) By using another student to deflect confrontation.
At times, when a trainee feels that he or she is being singled out and is being pushed to reflect upon his or her relational dynamics, a common reaction or defense may be to compare themselves with another trainee. For example, the trainee may insist that they have shared, learned and have been involved as much as student X.
Accordingly, by claiming that one is no different (when it comes to involvement) than trainee X, an individual is resisting reflecting and evaluating his or her unique learning needs. An example might be, “I’ve been involved as much as Jane, so why are we focusing on me?”.
(7) Claiming to meet all the requirements.
This method of resistance is similar to comparing oneself to another trainee. This time, however, it is an attempt to avoid personal and or professional evaluation by attempting to put the focus upon program structure: i.e., the program requirements. For example, the trainee may state, “I’ve meet all the requirements of the program. Why are you being critical of me?”
(8) By focusing on “doing” and “performing” ministry.
In an effort to resist the evaluative process, the trainee will spend as much time as possible focusing upon doing ministry and on their performance as a pastor. This is often the focus of the student who has a strong need to “look good” performance and recognition are priorities. It is an attempt to avoid being evaluated. A common response may be,“I believe the patient is more important than focusing on my ministry.
(9) By insisting on confidentiality within the peer group seminars and then stating, “I have a trust problem”.
This remark may put the trainee’s peers between a rock and a hard place. It is a demand that others be trustworthy, and then telling them that they can’t be trusted because, “I have a trust problem.” The trust issue is often used to justify one’s passive non-involvement. To justify his silence, the trainee will claim, “I get more out of just listening”.
(10) By insisting that he or she is just the “victim of circumstances.”
This is a claim that events happened which were beyond the trainee’s control and that she is not really responsible for what happened. If the trainee can successfully convince others that she is a victim of circumstances, then she is not responsible for what happened and, therefore, cannot be evaluated for their own behavior. A common claim may be, “It just happened that way”.
(11) Sub-grouping with another trainee.
Sub-grouping can be a way of avoiding the whole peer group evaluation of one’s relationships. Trainees may attempt to avoid learning through peer group review by trying to solve a group learning issue (raised in the group seminar) outside group time with one or more of his peers. This often happens when there is an unsolved conflict in a seminar. To minimize the threat of the group and to resist the peer group learning process, an individual may hope to resolve the conflict outside the group. This, of course, robs the trainee’s peers of participating in the conflict with the trainee.
(12) With efforts to control the group.
Controlling takes many forms. Coming in late to the seminars is one way to control a group another is by placing oneself at the center of attention by talking a lot or remaining silent. Complaining about something unrelated to the program or the learning process. Attempts to control are often ways one uses to conceal one’s low self image. The conscious or unconscious motive is, “if I can control the situation, I can keep you from seeing how I really feel about myself.
These are some of the behavioral dynamics that can be used to resist learning and change that is involved in the relational learning. There are more that could be listed. How the trainee resists and how the trainee works through their resistance is a learning dynamic that is significant and is vital part of the learning process.