Download Metaprograms as a Tool for Critical Thinking in Reading and Writing

Metaprograms as a Tool for Critical Thinking in Reading and Writing
Second JALT Critical Thinking SIG forum
Cullen, Brian - Nagoya Institute of Technology
[email protected]
Saturday, October 26th, 11am
JALT2013, Kobe Convention Center, Portopia Kobe, October 25th - 28th.
Summary
This presentation examines how students can develop and apply critical thinking skills and literacy to the
comprehension of texts. In particular, the presenter will explore how the development of reader awareness
and writing for a specific audience can be facilitated by using the concept of metaprograms.
Metaprograms are a means of understanding different reading/writing styles by examining personality
types. Metaprograms have their origins in Carl Jung's concepts of psychological types and Myers-Briggs
personality typing, and they were later developed by the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming into a
comprehensive framework for identifying and utilizing over 50 personality characteristics. More recently,
they have been used as the basis of human resource management and sales tools such as the Lab Profile
(Charvet, 2012). The presentation will introduce eight metaprogram distinctions and show they can be
used to develop EFL writing tasks which promote critical thinking, literacy, and reader/writer awareness.
Why Use Metaprograms?
Why are metaprograms (or similar classifications of cognitive style) useful in developing critical
thinking? One important facet of developing critical thinking skills in our students is fostering the ability
to recognize the different cognitive styles of others and to be able to use a variety of styles oneself to
match the needs of any situation. As an example of recognizing cognitive styles, imagine one of your
students in a future situation, preparing a financial projection or information presentation in which
classical critical thinking skills such as analysis, logic, and forecasting are essential. Other members of
the group may not be using the same skills as our student and instead may have a cultural, linguistic,
organizational, or personality bias towards a more emotionally-driven cognitive style. In order for our
students to relate effectively to the other team members and to achieve the desired outcome, having the
flexibility to at least understand this different cognitive style will provide a foundation for the
behavioural flexibility to create win-win situations that might not have been otherwise considered. In this
case, a small concession of some emotional benefit can be offered to the person with the
emotionally-based cognitive style without sacrificing the primary outcome.
It is also beneficial to be able to use a range of cognitive styles. The student who successfully uses
classical critical thinking skills in carrying out a successful future deal may be less successful in creating
harmony in his own household if he deals with his wife and children in the same way. Dealing optimally
with the different situations encountered in life requires flexibility in cognitive style.
Many problems that people encounter in their working and personal lives are due to a rigidity in
cognitive style, an inability to recognize or use the cognitive style that the situation calls for. The law of
requisite variety suggests that the element of a system that has the greatest flexibility has the ability to
control the entire system. In other words, by becoming cognitively flexible, we can recognize and utilize
others' cognitive styles and adapt to different situations in order to achieve our desired outcomes.
One way to achieve this kind of flexibility in cognitive styles is through the learning and application
of metaprograms. Metaprograms have their roots in the work of Carl Jung on human archetypes and were
later developed in various ways by Myers-Briggs, the field of neuro-linguistic programming, and more
recently in the LAB profile.
Metaprograms (or Meta Programs) are cognitive strategies that people run all the time, ways
that people sort information. They are an important way for people to filter their experiences so that they
can be incorporated into their internal map of the world. Knowing someone’s Metaprograms can actually
help you clearly and closely predict people’s states, and therefore predict their actions. Knowing
someone’s metaprograms can help to create rapport and to talk more precisely into that person’s map of
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the world. One important point about Metaprograms: they are not good or bad, they are just the way
someone handles information.
Eight of the more commonly used metaprogram distinction sets are outlined below along with a
simple question for each that helps to explain its function. Each of the eight pairs can be viewed as a way
to recognize a component of a person's cognitive style.
The first four of the most commonly used metaprograms emerged from Jung’s work on human
archetypes and they are also used in the well-known Myers-Briggs personality test
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator). Elsewhere (Cullen et al, 2013), I have
calculated and described the distributions of these four types within the populations of the United States
and Japan. While the Myers-Briggs test asks many questions to determine type, it is usually possible to
get useful results by asking the simple questions below. These questions were devised by Tad James.
1. Attitude Towards the External World (Introvert – Extrovert)
“When it’s time to recharge your batteries, do you prefer to be alone (Introvert) or with people (Extrovert)?”
2. Internal Process (Sensor – Intuitor)
Intuitors are interested in possibilities, relationships, & meanings of events. Sensors are interested in immediate
practical facts.
“If you were going to study a certain subject, would you be more interested in the facts and their use now (Sensor) or
would you be more interested in the ideas and relationships between the facts, and their applications in the future
(iNtuitor)
3. Internal State (Thinker – Feeler)
“Do you make decisions relying more on logic and reason (Thinker) or on personal values and feelings (Feeler)?”
4. Adaptive Response (Judger – Perceiver)
The Judger is controlling, orderly, and decisive.
The Perceiver is flexible and spontaneous.
“If were going to do a project together, would you prefer that it were outlined, planned, and orderly (Judger), or would
you prefer if we were able to be more flexible in the project (Perceiver)?”
There are many other metaprograms discussed in NLP. Michael Hall and others have identified more than
50. Here are four more useful ones.
5. Direction Filter (Towards – Away)
Towards people move towards what they like. Away people move away from what they don’t like.
“What do you want in a relationship?”
“What do you want to do with your life?”
The person will talk either about what they positively want (Towards) or what they don’t want (Away).
6. Frame of Reference (External – Internal)
“How do you know when you’ve done a good job? Do you just know inside (internal) or do you know from what
someone tells you (external)?”
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7. Relationship Filter (Matcher – Mismatcher)
“What is the relationship between what you were doing last year and what you are doing this year?”
The person will either describe similarities (Matcher) or differences (Mismatcher).
8. Convincer Strategy
This is a common metaprogram in the use of NLP in sales or business. There are two questions.
Question 1: “How do you know _________ is good?”
After asking this question you will probably get one of four answers.
1) “I have to see it.” (So, you should show them something to persuade them)
2) “I have to read about it.” (You should give them a brochure etc.)
3) “I have to hear about it.” (You should tell them verbally)
4) “I have to do it/ feel it/work with it.” (You should them let them touch the product)
Question 2: “How many times or for how long do you have to see it/read about it/hear about it/do it before you are
convinced it’s good?”
Once you know the person’s convincer strategy, you can tailor your words to match it.
For most metaprograms, people will fall somewhere between the two extremes. It is important to keep in
mind that metaprograms can also be context-dependent. For example, a person could have a different
convincer strategy for personal relationships and for business.
Using Metaprograms in EFL
Literacy & Critical Thinking Skills
 Helping students to be flexible in writing in order to reach different kinds of people
 Considering the purpose for writing; identify for example – is your purpose to induce fear (away) or
to inspire (towards)
 Helping students to understand how other writers/readers/people view the world
Sample EFL Reading/Writing Tasks Using Metaprograms
 Examine style of particular writer
 Recognize purposes of writer
 Identify a particular target audience for your writing
 Analyse and Create a Sales letter
 Assess your classmates’ work and figure out their style
 Write a targeted letter applying for a job
 Write deliberately using a different style to your own
Some Further Reading
Asby, R. (1952). An Introduction to Cybernetics. See http://www.rossashby.info/ for details.
Charvet, S.R. (2012). Words That Change Minds: Mastering the Language of Influence. Kendall Hunt
Pub.
Cullen, B., Mulvey, S. & Matsui-Hayes, A. (2013). Metaprograms for Literacy Development and Critical
Thinking. Proceedings of the 2012 PanSig Conference.
http://www.pansig.org/2013/JALTPanSIG2013/Proceedings/The2012Pan-SIGProceedings.pdf
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Sample Reading/Writing Activity
The letter below has been written carefully to match the eight metaprograms of a potential customer
called John. Identify the 8 metaprograms.
1. Extrovert / Introvert
2. Intuitor / Sensor
3. Thinker / Feeler
4. Judger / Perceiver
5. Matcher / Mismatcher
6. Towards / Away
7. External / Internal
8. Convincer Strategy:
See Hear Read
No. of Times: ___
Do
Dear John,
I am writing today to tell you about a great training opportunity that could change your whole business –
not just a few little things, but the way that you look at everything.
Our training seminar is set up so that you have the chance to interact and learn from other people. Group
learning is powerful and can help you to energize yourself with the knowledge and expertise of others.
When you think logically about this offer, I am sure that you will come to the conclusion that this will
really help your business. Each step of the training is rationally planned to help you make the changes
required for higher sales.
We have also attached a full schedule for the training program which breaks down the activities hour by
hour to give you a complete picture of what you will be learning.
When you think about what you were doing last year, do you really want to be doing the same thing next
year? We are sure that you would much prefer to be doing something new – to be really increasing your
sales rapidly.
This training seminar will help you to move towards your goals easily and quickly.
You know that others around you may doubt the value of yet another training program, but when you
consider your own values, you will realize that it is your own decision and that you can take that decision
yourself regardless of external criticism.
All I ask you do is to watch the three short videos on our website where you will see convincing evidence
that this training seminar will work for you.
Sincerely,
Abe Michaels
Follow-up
Write a letter (or make a presentation) targetting someone with exactly the opposite set of metaprograms.
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Intuitor
Extravert
Introvert
Sensor
Feeler
Judger
T inker
Perceiver
Away
Metaprogram s
- mental processes which manage, guide and direct other mental processes
Towards
Mismatcher
Internal
External
Matcher
Convincer
Strategy
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