Social Learning Theory (SLT) addresses the cognitive, mental, and rational sides of ourselves. As such, we are “thinkers,” and we tend to believe we are much more rational than we are. Over the last two decades or so, science has revealed how important our emotions are throughout all of our rational processes. It has been well argued that emotions are much more dominant than previously imagined and must be an integral part of any mind/body integration effort.
Polyvagal Theory (PV) Enters the Scene
In 2011, Stephen W. Porges published “The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation,” which dramatically changed the worlds of Psychiatry and Psychology. We now have a much-improved understanding of how the mind and nervous system can work together or be at odds with each other. The theory is too far-reaching to be appropriately addressed in this article, but we can focus on a few central issues that bind SLT with PV. So, let’s have a go at it.
Our Central Nervous
The Central Nervous System (CNS) consists of our brain and spinal cord. The brain controls how we think, learn, move and feel. The spinal cord carries messages back and forth between the brain and nerves running throughout the body. In short, it is the main highway connecting mental and visceral sources of information, keeping it alive and ready for constructive action.
Our Autonomic Nervous System
Our autonomic Nervous System (ANS) consists of two major divisions. One is called the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), and the other is the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The SNS is our “fight or flight” response system and usually involves high states of arousal, including adrenaline, and other compatible chemicals called neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is a network of nerves that relax our body following episodes of stress, challenge and danger. It is often referred to as the “rest and digest” system. Together, the SNS and PNS provide us with self-protective inner body mechanisms that help us adapt to an ever-changing, ever-challenging world.
The Vagus Nerve
The Vagus Nerve (also referred to as vagal nerves) are the main nerves of the Parasympathetic Nervous System, which control various body functions such as digestion, heart rate and our immune system. While vagus nerve actions are involuntary or autonomic, they can be controlled by our conscious use of Deep Rhythmic Breathing and other procedures for calming the body. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in our body and is a primary driver of our ability to coordinate mental and visceral body processes. When you have that “gut-level response,” think of it as your vagus nerve talking to your brain, saying something is suspicious here, and we need to pay attention. We might very well be in danger, as sensed by our ability to hear, see, smell, feel and taste. The vagus nerve has been around a long time through out evolution and precedes the complex thinking mechanisms in our brain. Sometimes, and more often perhaps than not, our gut-level responses are dominant over our thinking brain. Example: Think of buying a car and how rational you are versus emotional, wanting this or that color, the smell of new leather, how you will feel driving this more expensive model when you can only afford the used model in the back parking lot.
Polyvagal Theory and Neuroception
Neuroception is the process wherein we determine whether situations we are in or people we meet are either safe or dangerous, and this takes place in the more primitive parts of our brain without our conscious awareness. Recall experiences you have had where your “body” feels like something suspicious or not so safe is going on. You are anticipating danger, and this sense of ALERT protects you. This is great, but only if your gut-level responses correctly interpret what is sensed, seen, or experienced. When your gut-level responses are faulty, and this can be for many reasons, your gut-level responses are not detecting accurately whether the situation is safe or whether the person is trustworthy. You can easily see how this can lead to a host of maladaptive responses and psychological problems such as fear of attachment, abandonment, trust issues and more.
Social Learning Theory and Expectancy
Neuroception is a visceral response. Expectancy is a mental or cognitive response. They both serve a similar purpose. When a person perceives ordinary experiences as threatening, and they are not, this results from various factors, including previous environmental stress, various brain wiring issues, sensory processing limitations and many others. From an SLT Expectancy perspective, an expectancy is defined as a “probability” from previous experiences. It is mental in nature, whereas Neuroception is primarily visceral in nature. They can, and often do, complement each other, where we, as active coping animals, use our mind/body-based capabilities to cope most effectively. If I feel (neuroception) you are frightening and may be dangerous, I shy away from any form of positive attachment. If I mentally expect you to be frightening and maybe dangerous, I shy away from such attachment. Since Expectations are based on experience and much like neuroception, they can be accurate interpretations or maybe not so accurate. Both of these processes are ongoing and may be complementary or competitive. Example: I may think you are trustworthy but feel you are not. Which do you rely on as your best source of information? Well, you don’t know, and it is best to listen to both inner voices and delay any attachment or involvement until you gather more experience, knowledge and feelings of assurance you are on the right track. If you are not able to resolve your inner dissonance, it is best to hold off, even though you want to move forward. A common occurrence is being physically attracted to another person but having heard he/she is a bit of a con man.
Internal Locus of Control, Neuroception and Expectancy
The ideal composite of these three important mind/body processes is when you have a well-sharpened sense of self, your own wants and needs, and know both mentally and physically when moving into safe or threatening environments or away from safe and comforting people. It is always a bit of a crap shoot, but much less so for those who believe in themselves and trust their feelings as accurate readings regarding external events and people. A quiet confidence accompanies these kinds of accurate dispositions. Internal Locus of Control is built on successful experiences that serve as useful guides in ambiguous situations. External Locus of Control is another situation altogether. Internals rely on skills they have acquired and use throughout their day. Externals rely on
good luck and what others do to shape outcomes. If you are an external, go to a bar, have a drink with a stranger and decide to spend the night without much qualification, you are not taking advantage of possible, possibly contrary neuroception and expectancy cues. You are just riding along, responding to momentary social and sexual desires, mindless of danger and possible negative outcomes.
We Become What We Do
As you become more aware of how your mind and body interact, both cooperatively and competitively, you are in a better position to do what works best, building positive experiences and feelings of success grounded in reality. Positive PERFORMANCE Psychology offers Self-Learning techniques, building upon four essential skills we want and need for enhanced performance and feelings of success. The performance skills are Relaxed Moves, Power Moves, Elastic Moves and Focused Moves. Much of this is clarified in the In The Zone E-Book.