Predictive Strategies and the Need to Confirm Them: Some Notes on Pathological Types of Decisions

Abstract

The point of view presented in this paper is that some forms of psychopathological behavior can be understood in terms of the ways in which people anticipate their environment and the behavioral decisions they make in relation to such anticipations. Through effective predictive strategies the individual may take advantage of rewards in the environment, prepare for unpleasantness, and keep conflict at a minimum. A need to confirm predictive strategies is hypothesized, even where such confirmation involves pain to the individual. Some forms of psychopathological behavior are viewed as representing attempts on the part of the individual to confirm a predictive strategy. Other forms of pathology are interpreted in terms of the predictive strategies themselves. It is felt that the conceptualization presented may be useful both in research and in therapy.

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