Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Theory of positive disintegration and personal growth

Theory of positive disintegration and personal growth:
What is the TPD and how can it be applied to personal growth?

Multimedia presentation
(3 min)

Focus questions:

How can high developmental potential impact decision making?

What is the TPD and how can it be applied to personal growth?

How can TPD be motivational to individuals experiencing the disintegration of their personality?

Overview

Case study example

When Wyoh was in high school, they began to question "why?". Why are people so cruel? Why do I have to go to school? Why do I have to wear these clothes when I'd rather wear what I want to? As a response to this, Wyoh began to make decisions about what they did, based on their own interest, but also about what they thought was just and right. They started wearing lots of elastic wristbands and changed their hairstyle. Sometimes they would skip school because they thought it was not helpful or worth going. These decisions exist on a singular level. There was no "right" or "wrong" decision here. Their decisions had consequences, but did not greatly change the way they though of themself. In doing this, Wyoh had begun their journey into positive disintegration.

Over the next few years, Wyoh would travel back and forth between states of primary integration and unilateral disintegration, without ever moving past this point. Wyoh made many friends from different cliques and social groups throughout high school, due to their ever changing personality.

When Wyoh started at university, it became clear that their decisions had clear impacts on not only themself, but others as well. Their decisions would have clear right and wrong alternatives, and over time, their decisions reflected their morals and expectations of themself. Wyoh had finally progressed into the third stage of positive disintegration.

The Theory of positive disintegration (TPD) is a theory of personality development, developed by Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dąbrowski, in which emotions play an essential role in motivation. TPD theorizes that personality development progresses from a state of primary integration, in which decisions are based off of egocentrism, upward to intentional altruism and decisions influenced by empathy, compassion and self awareness. This ultimate level of personality development is known as secondary integration.

Between primary and secondary integration, there exist three stages of disintegration. Within these stages of disintegration, the initial personality of a person, shaped over the course of their life by biological impulse and social and environmental adherence, is dismantled, to be ultimately replaced by a conscious and self-aware, self-created personality. Dąbrowski theorized that for personality to develop in full, integrated aspects of personality based on instinct and social learning must be broken down, or disintegrated. (Dąbrowski, K., 1970)

Importantly, TPD posits that personality development does not follow a time schedule, nor is significantly aligned with physical developmental milestones, such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause, however these milestones may include stressors which may influence the onset or continuation of positive disintegration. Positive disintegration can frequently occur during periods of intense stress. See Figure 1. Whilst not following a time schedule, TPD postulates that it always progresses in the same sequence; the five stages of positive disintegration, always in the same order.

During these stages of personality disintegration, development forces the person to make decisions, early on being unilateral, with no clear right or wrong decision, and later being multilevel decisions, where morally right and wrong decisions exist. Ultimately, morally correct decisions will be chosen the vast majority of the time, allowing the person to progress to secondary integration.

Not all people who begin their journey through positive disintegration will complete their personality development. In fact, some may shift back and forth between stages and until finally completing the development of their ideal personality, and others may never complete this journey. Some people may never leave the first stage of primary disintegration. This is dependent on developmental potential. Developmental potential refers to the influence of biological impulse, social and environmental adherence, overexcitability, abilities and talents, and motivation. People with a high enough developmental potential will generally undergo a complete remodelling of their personality through positive disintegration, so much so, that when an individual with a high developmental potential does not undergo positive disintegration, it is a statistical outlier. (Dąbrowski, K., 1970)

Dąbrowski believed (Dabrowski, Kawczak, & Piechowski, 1970) that an individual must develop their own hierarchy of values and emotional reactions to develop their personality, as well as recognition, appreciation and utilisation of their own autonomy. The majority of psychological theories surrounding personality and individual differences do not consider emotional reaction and response to play a key role in its production, where TPD does. TPD proposes that the way one reacts to emotional stimuli contributes greatly to the creation of their individual personality ideal, which acts as the end-goal of self-development.

Development potential

Dąbrowski ideated Development Potential (DP), a way of measuring a response to stimuli.(Dabrowski, Kawczak, & Piechowski, 1970). Whether positive or negative, a strong DP means that the environment will play little role in the personality development. A weak DP means that the environment plays a more significant role. Dąbrowski highlights three major aspects of development potential as Overexcitability, Abilities and Talents, and the 'Third Factor' - an increased drive for autonomous growth.

First factor: biological impulse

People who direct their energy and talents to serve egocentric goals and their biological needs, based on survival and self advancement are highly guided by this factor. (Tillier, W., 1998).

Second factor: social/environmental adherence

The second factor, based on the social environment and peer pressure, encourages mob mentality through the restriction of individual expression and creativity. This discourages individual thought. Parallel to the hive-mind effect seen commonly in cults, social forces shape individual behaviour. Behaviour is not in line with free will concepts, instead being reflective or conducive of social norms. In this factor, talents, behaviours, and creative outlets are redirected to follow the existing social morals and values. (Tillier, W., 1998).

Whilst this sounds like it opposes free will, people influenced by this factor are likely to behave ethically, as their conscience is formed by social context, as long as the social standards within the society are ethical. The concern is when these standards are not ethical, or become corrupt. In this case, people who are influenced greatly by the second factor are not likely to act against the unethical standards of the group. David C. Thomasma argues people within a society face challenges which may either allow the individual to grow, or push them to decay, throughout the course of their lives. These challenges impede their free choices and their ability to make customarily good choices, or even just to make their own decisions at all. (Thomasma and Weisstub, 2004. p10).

In general, when socialization occurs within this factor without an individual examining themself, they live a life parallel to that of a drone — robotic. Dąbrowski argues that a significant majority of the general population are primarily motivated by the second factor.(Dąbrowski, K., 1964).

Overexcitability (OE)

In the context of TPD, overexcitability refers to the ways in which 'gifted' individuals have an increased capacity for experiencing stimuli, whether internal or external. These individuals experience stimuli more intensely than others, and this overexcitability is a prerequisite to positive disintegration. (Mendaglio and Tillier, 2006).

Research study

A 2017 Hong Kong study was conducted on the relationship between Overexcitabilities (OEs) and creativity, aligning with Dabrowski's theory. It found that individuals with higher levels of imaginational OE, followed by intellectual, emotional, sensual, and psychomotor OEs, tend to exhibit greater creativity with an astounding 71.8% accuracy rate among participants.

The research suggests that OEs can be a useful indicator for identifying creatively gifted individuals. However, the study's reliance on the overexcitability questionnaire two (OEQII) as the sole measure of OEs is a limitation. Future research should consider employing diverse assessment methods and acknowledge the inherent limitations of self-report measures.

Further, the study’s age range of the participants was a limitation as it only focused on students from grade 7-11. Which posits that the same research may be invalid in varying age ranges, future studies may benefit from gaining a broader understanding of the true relationship between OE and creativity (He et al., 2017).

Types of overexcitability

Overexcitability is a broad subject, leading Dabrowski (Dabrowski, K, 1996) and Piechowski (Piechowski, M., 1986) to divide the topic into five distinct types.

Psychomotor overexcitability

Psychomotor overexcitability refers to an increased amount of energy. This may look like increased psychomotor arousal, or nervousness. The individual may engage in more self stimulatory behaviours (stimming, fidgeting), in order to address excess psychomotor energy. (Piechowski, M.,1986)

Sensual overexcitability

Individuals with sensual overexcitability experience sensory pleasures more intensely than others. Piechowski, a close collaborator with Dabrowski, quotes a "keen sensual alliveness" (Piechowski, M., 1986, pp.90). He stated in his 1986 publication, that sensual OE is expressed through looking for sensual outlets for internal tensions, notably through overeating and sexual experience. (Nelson, K., 1989).

Imaginational overexcitability

People who experience this form of overexcitability have an increased sense of imagination. This presents as the individual having more expressive imagery, metaphorical thinking, fantastical thinking and animalistic thinking, which all may become obvious to others through the ways in which the individual tells stories, narrates their experiences and expresses themselves. (Nelson, K., 1989).

Intellectual overexcitability

Intellectually overexcited individuals have more mental activity than others, making their thinking patterns more theoretical. These individuals generally have a intense desire to learn and understand a range of topics or perhaps fewer niche ones. (Nelson, K., 1989).

Emotional overexcitability

Individuals who are emotionally overexcited experience intense emotional relationships, more so than the general population. These relationships are often formed with and by people and other living things, as well as places of interest. (Piechowski, M., 1979)

Dynamisms

Dynamisms are processes of change, or the forces by which change is manifested. In relation to TPD, dynamisms serve to develop objectivity within an individual, relieve tensions which may not be conducive to creative processes and create conditions which allow the individual to develop their personality in ways which are psychically healthy. (Dąbrowski, K., 1964)

Dąbrowski posits (Dąbrowski, K., 1964) that the overexcitability factors of Emotional, Intellectual and Imaginational are the ones which play the most significant role in forming the dynamisms that shape and direct the development of personality

"Emotional, intellectual, and imaginational overexcitability play the significant role in the formation of developmental dynamisms that shape and direct personality development" (Dąbrowski, K., 1996)

Developmental dynamisms which lack organization, or are spontaneous, do not generally contribute to the process of positive disintegration. Conversely, developmental dynamisms that are organized, and encourage understanding and reconceptualization, greatly contribute to the process of positive disintegration. (Dąbrowski, K., 1964).

Abilities and talents

Abilities and talents are specific to the individual. At low levels of personality development, individuals utilise their talents and abilities to support person-centred goals, such as to support their progression within social and workplace hierarchies. At higher levels of personality development, individuals no longer only use their abilities and talents egocentrically, rather implementing them into their own personal hierarchy of values, so that they may firstly express their vision of their ideal personality and worldview, and then secondly, achieve it. (Piechowski, M., 2002)

(Not so) secret third factor of personality development- drive/motivation

When considering the broader topic of motivation, the third factor of developmental potential really answers the question: How can TPD be applied to personal growth?. Dąbrowski outlines the third factor of DP to be a drive or motivation towards the growth and autonomy of the individual. As such, he posited that this third factor plays along with the second, as it requires that the individual apply their talents, abilities and creativity to the broad context of their autonomous expression. Due to this, the individual would then by motivated to achieve more and to begin to imagine and ideally achieve goals beyond their own expectations.(Dąbrowski, K., 1964).

Third factor vs free will

Whilst seemingly similar and interrelated, Dąbrowski argues that there is an important distinction to be made between the two. He posited that free will, as a concept, did not encapsulate motivation, as somebody may have free will, but not be motivated towards growth. His Third Factor refers to motivation specifically as a drive to become one's unadulterated and honest self. (Dąbrowski, K., 1964).

The motivation of an individual to reach self-actualization may be (and often is) so intense that they may put themselves in harms way to do so. Whilst talking about motivation - especially in the context of the Theory of Positive Disintegration - it is crucial to ensure that one does not encourage others to seek out risk taking behaviours. When communicating the fact that circumstances which are hazardous or dangerous can lead to some individuals becoming closer to achieving their 'true self', one must highlight that this book chapter does not recommend that people go out of their way to endanger themselves. Some people feel that no cost is beyond the reward of 'being their real self', and as such, is not perfectly aligned with the concept of free will, because some people believe that their isn't really a choice here, that they must become themselves, no matter what.

Development potential - bottom line

Dąbrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration says that individuals with a high enough DP most likely will undergo disintegration, and that high Developmental Potential is positively related to likelihood of disintegration of their personality. In fact, TPD considers the case of a high DP individual not undergoing personality disintegration as an outlier.(Dąbrowski, K., 1970)

Multi-level approach to understanding positive disintegration

Dąbrowski describes the continuity of personality development through a multilevel approach. His theory posits that DP actually contributes to the catalysing of a crisis. Overexcitability and the Third Factor (motivation/drive) combine to contribute to an individual seeking out experience which are anxiety and depression inducing. Dąbrowski referred to this phenomenon as psychoneurosis. This psychoneurosis (neurosis) contributes to disintegration. (Dąbrowski, K., 1964).

The levels of positive disintegration

Dąbrowski developed a multi-level system for describing positive disintegration. The levels are as follows:

Level 1: primary/primitive integration

Dąbrowski believed that people whose lives are largely guided by either biological impulse or social/environmental adherence, or both, are likely to live in a state of primary/primitive integration. He referred to these people as the 'average people', as they represent the majority of the general population. Dąbrowski posited that being at level of one was to be in a state contrary to a healthy mental state. He also stated that the average person has a fairly high degree of primary integration, and a psychopath would have a very high degree of primary integration. This level is characterized by selfishness, egocentrism and self fulfilment. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Most people never break this level of integration down at all. Out of those who do, the majority return to this level after a brief period of disintegration (Nelson, K. C.,1989).

Whilst this state is not generally conducive to a positive mental state, Dąbrowski found that those who return to this state after disintegration may have worth and value as this state is predictable and has innate structural stability, and when the individual possesses qualities of kindness and empathy may often provide support to people experiencing disintegration.(Nelson, K. C.,1989).

Level II: unilevel disintegration

This level is characterised by an initial crisis or crises. Often extreme, these crises are spontaneous, and unexpected. The individual is not prepared, nor taught to be, for these crises. Unilevel crises always, and only, exist on one level. There is no choice between better or worse. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Often, these crises coincide with developmental crises such as puberty or menopause. This is because these crises are more likely to occur when the individual is experiencing difficulty coping with external events. This means that the crisis commonly occurs in conjunction with psychological distress. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

At this time, dynamisms begin to come into play. During Unilevel Disintegration, these dynamisms occur with a lack of self control and self-consciousness, due to this, these dynamisms may contribute to the individual being put in risk taking situations or dangerous circumstances. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Unilevel crises present themselves in two distinct forms. The first is through ambitendencies, where the individual is presented with two options that they are equally attracted to and must decide on one. The second is ambivalences, where the individual has no preference between the two options. If the forces of development are intense enough, and/or the developmental potential of the individual is high enough, the individual will face an existential crisis. This is because their previously conceptions of reason does not account for their experience and there is no other possible explanation for the way that they are feeling.

At this point, the individual experiences a heightened sense of existential despair, so much so that it usually becomes the predominant emotion of the individual at the time. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

In response to this, the individual must then tear down their prescribed values and form their own. During this time, we get phases of social rebellion, as social norms no longer make sense to the individual.

This causes the individual to begin to assess other aspects of life and the existence of others and their lives, creating for themselves further crises. Dąbrowski does not suggest this be avoided. Dąbrowski encourages rebellion. He posit that these crises are representations of a strong potential for development of personality, as well as having strong potential for positive mental health consequences. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Level II is a transitory period. Individuals who do not progress to level III will either regress back to level I, or never escape level II. A lack of escape from this level is seen through suicide or psychosis. An unreasonable, and an rarely achievable amount of energy is required to progress to level III. When facing the transition (forward to level III, or backward to level I), an individual has to decide whether to follow their instincts (factor one of personality development), what they have been taught (factor two), or their heart — or dreams for their future (factor three). To progress to level III, the individual must transform their low level instincts, such as emotional reactions, into positive motivational forces, and resist what has been taught, instead following their inner sense of what is right.(Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Level III: spontaneous multilevel disintegration

At this level, the individual is faced with crises that transcend horizontal levels. Two alternatives do not exist on the same level, instead, one alternative is a lower choice (staying the same, or not becoming a better person, actuality) and one is a higher choice (imagined ideals). These crises require imaginational OE to navigate, as an individual with a genuine need to become their true selves would choose the higher alternative every time, knowing innately that it is the right one to chase. This means overcoming the ambivalences and ambitendencies of level II. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

If the individual's actual behaviour does not reach the level of their ideal self, the self-seeking individual will be driven (third factor) to reassess and rebuild their life. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Level III is where the individual finds their drive and motivation for development. All future future events in life will henceforth be in relation to their ideal self, and it becomes unreasonable to be positioned in ways that favour a lower course of action, when a higher goal can be imagined (imaginational OE). (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Level IV: directed multilevel disintegration

In this level, development is no longer enacted upon the individual involuntarily or spontaneously, rather the individual reviews life consciously, from the multilevel perspective. In this level, the third factor begins its full emergence as the individual guides their own life, affirming and rejecting aspects and qualities of their life and environment. Lower views and reactions get replaced by cautiously examined ideals. The individual's behaviour becomes less reactive and automatic, rather being deliberate and reflective of their higher, chosen ideals. Individuals within the highest levels of personality development place responsibility on themselves for protection of others, and for justice.(Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Level V: secondary integration

The fifth level is similar to the first level, in that the individual's personality is no longer in a state of disintegration. However, it varies from the first level, as the individual's behaviour is guided by decisions formed from a hierarchy of personal values. Very little inner conflict exists at this level, because the person's behaviour is based on their inner standard of how life is meant to be lived. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

People who are at the fifth level of personality development see problem solving as well as art as the most noble features of human life, and are often marked by their creative expression. This is likely due to how art is seen to capture the artists deep understanding of the subject, which generally tend to be suffering and sacrifice for artists at this level of personal development. (Nelson, K. C.,1989)

Key points

TPD is a theory of personality development proposed by Kazimierz Dąbrowski, suggesting that psychological stress can lead to personal growth.
Core concepts:
- Positive disintegration: The process of breaking down existing personality structures to create a more integrated and authentic self.
- Developmental potential (DP): The individual's capacity for growth and resilience.
- Overexcitability: Increased sensitivity to stimuli in areas like psychomotor, sensual, imaginational, intellectual, and emotional.
- Dynamisms: Forces that shape personality development, including organized and spontaneous processes.
- Levels of positive disintegration: A multi-level approach to personality development, from primary integration to secondary integration.
Key stages of personality development:
- Primary/primitive integration: Initial state characterized by conformity and adherence to social norms.
- Unilevel disintegration: Crisis-filled period of questioning and challenging existing beliefs.
- Spontaneous multilevel disintegration: A deeper level of questioning and self-reflection.
- Directed multilevel disintegration: Conscious and deliberate development of personality.
- Secondary integration: A final state of integration based on personal values and ideals.
TPD emphasizes:
- The importance of psychological stress for personal growth.
- The role of individual choice and autonomy in personality development.
- The connection between overexcitability and developmental potential.
- The transformative power of crises and challenges.
Overall, TPD offers a unique perspective on personality development, suggesting that adversity can be a catalyst for positive change.

The key points section of this book chapter utilises genAI for its summary.

Quiz

Conclusion

TPD offers a valuable framework for understanding personal growth and development. By recognizing the role of disintegration and cultivating sensitivity, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-actualization.

TPD can be applied to personal growth, as the theory itself is one that focuses on how life events and crises impact decision making, and how decision making impacts personal growth. This is seen through the five levels of positive disintegration, where the linear path of disintegration includes changes at each level, which push the individual to grow rather than to decay.

This theory is important, as it is a reminder that setbacks and crises do not make life meaningless. TPD posits that for people with a high development potential, these crises can actually be the catalyst for development and may ultimately be what the individual needs to become their true self.

TPD ideates that individuals should seek out experience rather than waiting for it to happen. This theory encourages individuals to take control of their own growth on a personal level, rather than looking to change the world.

TPD teaches that personal growth must be just that; personal. Whilst positive disintegration requires the same path to be taken to reach secondary integration, the decisions made and the length of time it takes will always be different, and as such, one individual can not intentionally push others towards their personal growth.

The key takeaways for this chapter are as follows:

To embrace disintegration, as it is a natural process and an opportunity to break free from patterns and limitations.
To cultivate a sense of sensitivity in themselves, to recognise their strengths and sensitivities and use them for growth through self reflection and creativity.
To seek depth within their lives, explore their emotions, feelings and experiences and to challenge their beliefs and explore new perspectives.
To embrace challenges; to learn from setbacks and view them as opportunities for growth.

Next time life throws you a curveball, try to recall this theory. Will you accept challenges and view them as an opportunity for growth, or avoid the crisis to hold on to primary integration?

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA

Dabrowski, K. (1964). Positive disintegration. Boston, MA: Little Brown.

Dabrowski, K. , Kawczak, A. & Piechowski, M. (1970). Mental growth through positive Disintegration. London: Gryf Publication Ltd.

Google AI. (2024) Gemini. [large language model] https://gemini.google.com/app

He, W., Wong, W., & Chan, M. (2017). Overexcitabilities as important psychological attributes of creativity: A dabrowskian perspective. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 25(6), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2017.06.006

Mendaglio, S., & Tillier, W. (2006). Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration and Giftedness: Overexcitability Research Findings. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30(1), 68–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/016235320603000104

Nelson, K. C. (1989). Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration. Advanced Development, 1, 1-14.

Piechowski, M. M. (1979). Developmental potential. "New voices in counseling the gifted.

Piechowski, M. M. (2002). Experiencing in a Higher Key; Dabrowski's Theory of and for the Gifted.

Schläppy M. L. (2019). Understanding Mental Health Through the Theory of Positive Disintegration: A Visual Aid. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1291. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01291

Third Factor (2024, October). Dabrowski's Dynamisms: Subject-Object in Oneself. Retrieved from https://www.thirdfactor.org/subject-object-in-oneself/

Thomasma, D.C., (2004). Morality as Impulse and Ethics as “Thinking” about Morality. INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF ETHICS, LAW, AND THE NEW MEDICINE, 309, 10.

Tillier, W. (1998). The basic concepts of Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration. The Dabrowski Newsletter, 5, 1-5.

Weckowicz, T. E. (1988). Kazimierz Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration and the American Humanistic Psychology. Counseling and Values, 32, 2. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-007X.1988.tb00706.x

Wikipedia (2023, September 29). Positive disintegration. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_disintegration

Wikipedia (2024, September 29). Social learning theory. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_learning_theory

Wikipedia (2024, October 1). Stimming. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stimming

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