Concept: | Worried (finding) |
What are we making a statement about when we say someone is "worried" ?
Comments
Posting here input from Former user (Deleted)
On Sun, Nov 21, 2021 at 8:10 AM Laura Fochtmann <laura.fochtmann@stonybrook.edu> wrote:
extensionPiper Ranallo wrote on 11/21/2021 12:26 PM:
extensionOn Sun, Nov 21, 2021 at 2:55 PM Laura Fochtmann <laura.fochtmann@stonybrook.edu> wrote:
extension
Do thoughts have "content?" Well, thoughts (all forms of cognition) emerge from brain activity. However:
What about when people are consciously unaware of the content of thoughts that are sub/unconscious? How can they become aware?
What about when they are only aware of the emotional sensations they feel that are associated with a thought, and what if those feelings are suppressed out of awareness (e.g., as a defense mechanism)?
What if the only things observable are bodily expressions of such emotion thoughts (e.g., tension, agitation, tears), other behaviors such as avoidant eye-contact and changing the subject, and/or a history of maladaptive coping mechanisms? Can the observer then infer the existence of thoughts and feelings?
How can a thought that is associated with an emotion can be measured in terms of emotional valance, activation level, intensity, frequency, and duration?
I pose these questions because they have been studying them the past 35 years through my involvement in developing a therapeutic tool that helps answers.
Would it make sense to say that worry is defined in terms of both thought process (a person is thinking continuously, i.e., ruminating, about the same topic) and though content (there is some specific thing that the person is thinking about)?
We haven't quite resolved what the meaning of functions are (i.e, what are we claiming when we say that a finding is about, i.e., observing, a cognitive function?)
However, it seems more specific to claim that when we are making an observation that someone is worrying we are observing something about their thought process and the content of their thoughts. We are making a claim not about some underlying function or some way of functioning, we are making a claim specifically about what the person is thinking and how they are thinking about it - either at this point in time or over some period of time.
Thoughts (no pun intended) ?