CHOICE THEORY In 1986 noted psychiatrist Dr William

CHOICE THEORY

In 1986, noted psychiatrist, Dr. William Glasser came to the following conclusions: • A new approach is needed if more students are to work in school, and • Using more “external” control is not working

At the heart of these beliefs are the following ideas:

• All we do from birth to death is behave • All behavior is purposeful and… • All behavior is total

Total Behavior is made up of four components: • • Acting Thinking Feeling Physiology

Physiology. . .

Physiology. . . always accompanies the other three components

Acting & Thinking….

Acting & Thinking…. are always voluntary

Feeling & physiology. . . can only be changed through changing how we act & think!

All “Total Behavior” is chosen to: make the real world coincide with something called the Quality world.

What is the Quality World?

• It is the core of our lives • It is a small, simulated world that we build into our memory • We are continually in the process of modifying it • We start building it shortly after birth. . .

from all we have perceived to feel very good.

What feels very good is. . .

What feels very good is. . . what satisfies or seems to satisfy one or more of five basic needs that are built into our genetic structure.

Five Basic Needs • • • Survival Love & Belonging Power Freedom Fun

Therefore… All behavior is internally or intrinsically motivated

In other words…. We do what we do because we choose to do it!

Traditionally, we have been taught that. . . that we are externally motivated.

This is known as. . .

This is known as. . . Stimulus-Response Theory or S/R Theory

Five Basic Needs • • • Survival Love & Belonging Power Freedom Fun

Four Emotional Needs • • Love & Belonging Power Freedom Fun

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. William Jennings Bryan