Reorganization and MOL By William T. Powers 1 Reinforcement Theory 2 From Reinforcement to Reorganization The most popular explanation of learning is still A rat is left of the lever it’s pressing so it moves to based on reinforcement, or the idea of reward and the right to press it. After eating the resulting pellet, punishment. According to this theory, learning isn’t it happens to be to the right of the lever so it moves something organisms do; it’s something done to them left to press it again. Somehow the same kind of food by their environments. Evolution has given certain pellet reinforces both directions of movement, but things in the environment the power to make us only the one that is needed is carried out. change our behavior to get them, presumably because This problem was actually recognized some time getting them enhanced our ability to compete with ago, but B. F. Skinner (who borrowed reinforcement other organisms, so the only organisms left are the theory from Thorndike and modified it) thought up a ones whose behavior is reinforced by such things. clever, though somewhat evasive, way around it. What The theory of reinforcement says that if behavior is reinforced, he proposed, is not the particular lever- produces a reinforcer, a consequence favorable to the pressing movements, but the class of all possible move- organism in some way, that behavior will become more ments that could perform the function of making the likely to occur again. But consider picking up a glass, lever go down. He named that class “the operant.” drinking its contents, and putting it down. Repeat- This gives reinforcers some pretty occult powers. ing all that behavior exactly will not get you another Not only do they increase the probability of pressing drink: the glass is now empty. Your action changed the the lever, but the reinforcement from last time in- environment so you have to do something different to creases the probability of making the movements that get the same result. If getting a drink just reinforces the are correct for this present instance of pressing, which same behavior, you will not get another drink. may entail pawing the lever, sitting on it, or biting it, The same problem occurs in more subtle ways. depending on what is happening between presses. When you pick the glass up, it is 20 centimeters There is an alternative to reinforcement theory directly east. When you put the glass down again, it that doesn’t have these problems. It was actually is 15 centimeters to the east. If, to pick it up again, hinted at by Skinner. He was asked, in effect, why the you now repeat exactly the same changes in the joint rat presses the lever the very first time, before any re- angles of your arm and shoulder with your body in inforcing conse quences have occurred. He explained precisely the same position and orientation, you’ll that organisms normally “emit” unpredictably var- probably knock the glass over. In general, in order to iable behavior when no reinforcements are occurring, cause a given consequence to repeat in the real world, and that is how the rat blunders into the lever the first it is almost always necessary to change, not repeat the time so the apparatus delivers a food pellet. behavior that produces that consequence. We can forget the part about reinforcement and just Reinforcement theory, therefore, is based on a look at the variable blunders. Random variations aren’t misreading of how behavior works. What we have unlikely, but systematic explorations would do just as to explain is not how the same behavior is caused to well. Suppose we guess that the initial unpredictable repeat, but how exactly the right changes in behavior blunderings noted by Skinner are actually caused by occur to generate the same consequence as before. a lack of whatever is rewarding to the organism. If the To get the right temperature, add hot water to the blunderings happen to bring some of the reinforcing bath, or sometimes add cold water. We see organisms thing to the rat, or vice versa, the deprivation is lessened producing the same consequences over and over using and the blunderings slow down. As enough of the rein- different, even opposite behaviors. forcement becomes regularly available, the blunderings gradually become systematic behavior that presses the Note: This series of 8 statements is a continuation of lever enough or in the right pattern to supply the miss- PCT in 11 Steps, A summary of Perceptual Control ing reinforcer. The rat now provides itself efficiently all Theory by Bill Powers. the reinforcement it wants or needs. © 2009 Bill Powers File Reorg_MOL.pdf from www.livingcontrolsystems.com Nov 2010 2 Reorganization and MOL 3 Reorganization theory 4 Reorganization and conflict This leads us to a different view of the way both rats Reorganization theory tells us that organisms that and people learn. Those random variations aren’t an learn have an ability to alter their own organization accident: they’re the only way we have for learning as a way of modifying control systems or creat ing something new that we can’t learn by reasoning things new ones when difficulties arise. In PCT, the current out or referring to past experience. When we’re really assumption is that reorganization is the process that stuck, or really ignorant like a baby or dumb like a rat, generates nearly all control systems in an adult human all we can do is try things at random and hope to hit being (or modifies rudimentary systems we inherit). on something that makes life a little better. Of course There has to be some predisposition to develop cer- we don’t always go thrashing randomly around; we do tain levels of control, but the actual systems that we that only when something goes wrong and nothing end up with, the hypothesis says, are built mostly by we already know how to do works to set it right. the organism’s own experiences in the present-time We can begin to put a new picture together. world, and are built by the most important control When something goes wrong, meaning that there system we inherit from our ancestors, the control is trouble with controlling some perception, some system that builds and modifies control systems. In process inside us starts to induce random but gradual PCT it is called “the reorganizing system,” though it changes of organization into the brain. The way we is likely to consist of many subsystems in the brain, perceive, the way we detect errors, the way we con- and who knows, perhaps throughout the body. Those vert errors into reference conditions for lower-order “repair” enzymes hopping along the backbones of systems, all begin to change. This naturally changes DNA molecules might be doing more than repairing. the way other people will see us behaving. If for any They might be reorganizing the molecules. reason our attempt to control a perception seems to There is a lot to learn about this new way of seeing be working better, the random variations slow down behavior and learning. or stop and any current changes keep going in the Let’s say that organisms have an inherited ability to same general direction as long as control seems to reorganize themselves when things go wrong. Control be improving. When it starts to get worse again, we theory tells us about one thing that can go very wrong start the random process again, changing randomly in a brain. It happens when, in the course of random in different directions. With some luck, this will bias reorgani zation, two or more control systems at one the changes so we spend more time making control level try to control their own perceptions by sending better than making it worse. different reference signals to the same lower-order As control gets better, errors get smaller, and the control system. In trying to see oneself as a worthy logical thing to do would be to make the changes member of the human race (level n+2), one sets the smaller, eventually going to zero when the error is sub-goals (level n+1) of being cooperative and also, zero, or less than some amount that doesn’t bother us for different reasons, being competitive. It is very hard any more. Once the brain’s organization has changed to find one behavior (at level n) that will accomplish enough to restore good control, the cause of the ran- both of these reference conditions at the same time. In dom variations goes away and we go on controlling fact, if you want to accomplish them simultaneously, using the new organization—as long as it continues you can’t. That’s a conflict. to work well. Because these are control systems, they will pro- The outward appearance of this reorganizing duce as much output action as required to match process could easily be seen to mean that something perception to reference. The result of conflict is prob- reinforces the correct behavior. Reorganization theory ably going to be a disaster. The harder one system says no, that is a misinterpretation. What is happen- tries to be cooperative, the harder the other tries to be ing is that problems cause reorganization to start, competitive, and where these strivings come together and successes slow it down or stop it, and it’s the to direct lower-level behavior, they will cancel each organism, not the environment, that is starting and other out. The control systems might as well have stopping the changes. A mirror image of reinforce- been removed with a neurosurgeon’s scalpel. A great ment; causation reversed. block of control has been lost. © 2009 Bill Powers File Reorg_MOL.pdf from www.livingcontrolsystems.com Nov 2010 Reorganization and MOL 3 5 Resolving inner conflict 6 Awareness and reorganization We encounter little conflicts all the time. Stay home A good answer comes not from theory but from and relax or go out and have a good time. Chocolate experience. No matter what technique a psychothera- or vanilla. Buy or don’t buy. Turn right toward the pist uses—giving homework assignments, talking to movies or turn left toward the mall. Any time when chairs, rolling the eyeballs this way and that, or mind- we could do different things but not both at once, and fully meditating—most would agree that problems we want to do both at once, we have a con flict. The don’t get solved until the client is aware of them. normal result is that we very quickly reorganize and It’s generally accepted that awareness normally is in make a choice, re moving the conflict. If we couldn’t contact with only a rather small part of the activities do that, life would be a serious mess. going on in the brain, even control processes. This Not every case where there are two mutually- means that most of the brain is operating without exclusive choices is a conflict. When you drive to a awareness, even if it’s still controlling all kinds of store, on the way you repeatedly encounter possible perceptions. The perceptions, however, would then just choice-points: turn or go straight, turn left or turn be neural signals with nobody looking at them, like right. But you already know the way to the store, and (up to now) the ones you receive from the seat you’re the alternatives never come up unless there’s an ac- sitting in, or from your breathing. Therapists want your cident or a road repair crew in the way. You’ve already awareness to be focused on the problem, not elsewhere. resolved those conflicts. You just follow the sequence It will be: awareness is attracted to problems. of left and right turns that ends up at the store and So why should solving a problem depend on be- never even consider turning any other way. ing aware of it? We can now offer a possible answer: But genuine choice-points, genuine conflicts, do because the main focus of reorganization follows the come up, and sometimes they don’t get reorganized main focus of awareness. This is how the changes away. Should I stay with my unfaithful wife because are confined to just part of the brain’s organization. I love her or divorce her because I hate what she did? This is just a possibility suggested by the mobility of Tell the boss what my friend stole, or be loyal to the awareness and the apparent observed fact that change friend and not tell? Be a go-getter, or relax and enjoy and awareness are intimately related. It’s probably not life? To be or not to be, that is the conflict. a very controversial proposal. Persistent, chronic conflict is a debilitating state. PCT offers one additional dimension to consider: It destroys the ability to control, because neither of two the organization into levels of control. Conflict in- conflicting goals can be achieved; as soon as the error volves at least three levels: an upper level goal using in one control system is reduced, the other is increased two lower control systems controlling different per- and that side pulls or pushes harder. All the effort that ceptions, and a lowest level where a single control one system can produce is used only to cancel all the system is receiving two incompatible reference images. effort the other system can produce, or most of it. Sit down, stand up. Go outside, stay inside. Text her, Most psychotherapists would agree that almost all the ignore her. The lowest system can’t do both. It may problems that people bring to therapy involve loss of come to some compromise state, but that won’t do control. Behind loss of control, we can now venture, what any higher-level system needs to be done. There there is most probably a persistent conflict. is a lot of difficulty at that lowest level. It wouldn’t be Now the question is, “Why has this person’s surprising if that were where awareness goes: to the natural ability to reorganize not removed this con- place where the conflict is being acted out. flict already?” Part of the answer lies in the answer But that isn’t the place that needs to be reor- to another question: “When something is wrong ganized. To reorganize at the lowest level will just with one control system, caus ing poor control and change the way the conflict is being expressed. And reorganization, why doesn’t reorganization change this is where the therapist finds the client, embroiled other control systems, too, even if nothing is wrong in endlessly reorganizing the consequences of the with them?” There must be some way of focusing or conflict, while doing nothing to change the systems amplifying reorganization where it’s needed. at the higher level that are causing the conflict. What the client needs is to move awareness up to where changes of organization will do some good. © 2009 Bill Powers File Reorg_MOL.pdf from www.livingcontrolsystems.com Nov 2010 4 Reorganization and MOL 7 The Method of Levels: MOL 8 Where are we? Where next? We have the recipe for resolving conflicts: move PCT had its first beginnings in about 1953. Today awareness to the level that is causing the conflict it is known by hundreds, perhaps even thousands, rather than the level acting it out. That’s easy to say, of scientists all over the world. Some 10,000 school but how do you do it? counselors, teachers, and administrators in the US Very probably, all successful psychotherapists have been through courses to learn it. The method manage to do it. If the ideas in PCT are right, they of levels, first practiced in the US by a few counselors wouldn’t be successful if they weren’t doing it (beside and licensed therapists, is now in use at the University whatever else they’re doing that they think is impor- of Canberra, Australia; Fife, Scotland; Manchester tant). What psycho therapists almost all do is to get University, England; New Jersey and North Carolina the client talking about a problem which we would and California USA; and the school system in the now expect to involve some kind of conflict, and by Northern Territories of Canada. Other places, too. that means bring the consciousness or awareness of Undergraduate and graduate courses on PCT and the client into contact with the parts of the brain MOL are offered, with a PhD program starting up where the problem is located. The image is that of a in Manchester. flashlight in a dark cathedral. Awareness is the place But PCT is far from a finished product, just as where the circle of light is, showing a pew or a stained MOL is far from a common method of therapy. glass window or a plaque or a dead body. All else is in New terminologies and new orientations open the darkness, though it’s obviously still there. Inside the way to new research possibilities; there is simply no cathedral of the brain, the spot of light may be on predicting what the future holds or what PCT will the struggle to accomplish two incompatible things look like in another 50 years. Some go so far as to say at once—but if it is there, where is whoever holds the that PCT shows us the form of the first actual science flashlight? Somewhere else. Perhaps at a higher level. of psychology, the first sign that psychology could Excuse the metaphors, please; one day they will be become a science like physics and chemistry with all replaced with something firmer. But that dead body their rigor and unity. What will still remain useful does attract attention. of the older theoretical frameworks or the data they In the approach called the Method of Levels, there produced is undetermined as of now; it could be that are two goals. One is to get the client talking about, with the new orientation, all the old problems will aware of, the details of the problem. The other is to try have to be drastically reframed, with as little proving to find hints about the higher system from which the to be interesting as there was of alchemy when it was client is observing, hints that are regularly dropped by replaced by chemistry. Such a revolution would, of the client. The flow of conversation will be interrupted course, create very human difficulties for those who by a sigh, a laugh, a long pause, or very often by some have bought into older theories. Stubborn resistance statement about the process going on, such as “This is understandable and to be expected. There is no isn’t getting me anywhere,” or (what the therapist re- reason to discard the old just because it is old, but if it ally likes to hear) a remark such as “It’s like I’m looking turns out to be no longer relevant, it will be discarded down at both sides of the problem at once.” nonetheless. Whatever the disruption might be, the therapist Many of those involved with PCT and MOL asks about it, hoping to draw the client’s attention up have longed for years to see a “Center for the Study a level. If the idea about awareness and reorganiza- of Living Control Systems” come into being, where tion is right, that should concentrate reorganization scholars, researchers, students, and the public could at the new level and start changes going at the level gather to develop these new ideas further and to where the conflict is being caused. It doesn’t matter communicate and learn them both as theories and as what the client says about the new level or what the applications. It would be an amazing place. therapist thinks about it. Simply focusing reorga- nization at that level is all that the method of levels Bill Powers requires. No diagnosis, no treatment, no advice, no Lafayette, Colorado, October 2009 interpretation, no suggestions, no homework. But ... not “no therapy.” © 2009 Bill Powers File Reorg_MOL.pdf from www.livingcontrolsystems.com Nov 2010