A Meta-Individual Model of Destructive Patterns. Report 1

Abstract

The article presents a common view on destructivity (defeat) and overcomes the hampering effects of fragmentation of destructivity that still dominates psychology. Isolated views on destructive patterns exist due to their partition among trauma, depression, aggression, violence, abuse, and the like. The question of how a composition of destructive patterns appears is still unanswered. This matter is salient but least understandable from the integrative and systems viewpoint. Currently this is complicated by respective questionnaires that rely on partial theories, which obscure the multidimensional view on destructivity. Yet multidimensional questionnaires are not explored and beyond empirical studies. It is shown that there are two definitions of the notion “destructivity” (or “defeat”), which are the narrow and the broad. In a narrow sense, the destructivity consists of a personal disposition to distortion with negative connotations within the limits of defeat, damage, and breakdown of oneself and/or close others. In a broad sense, the described destructive patterns are also related to such phenomena as aggression, psychic trauma, and deviance. These issues are analyzed in three aspects. Firstly, particular destructive patterns are highlighted. Secondly, questionnaires intended to measure them are examined. Thirdly, an integrative approach to destructivity has been proposed. This approach is important because it conceptualizes fragmented parts of destructive patterns, describing them as a unified phenomenon in an integrative fashion.