Lesson 1...publications and to develop them into the present work and the companion Programed Workbook. Together with the audio/video material, they form a self-instructional system

Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D. Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D.

Lesson 1

The PICS ™ Self-Counseling and Psychotherapy System™

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Copyright © 2003-2015 by Gary Screaton Page. All rights reserved.

www.pressingyourownbuttons.com

Publisher Data and Legal Information

Copyright © 2000-2015 by Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D. All rights reserved, specifically including

but not restricted to, use of this material in courses, or workshops without the express written

permission of the author.

Published by Canadian Institute of Human Development

Illustrations by Mike F. Kicul

Cover Design by Jason Richard D Page, All Things Page

Contact the Publisher at:

URL: http://www.pressingyourownbuttons.com

http://www.genesisonlinetherapy.com

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer

The author has changed the names and identifying characteristics of people alluded to in

this book and he does not intended to refer to specific persons. All situations are simulations of

those encountered in practice and the names do not refer to actual persons involved but are

composites of people with whom the author may have worked. Any resemblance, then, to an

identifiable person is coincidental and unintended.

The author has made what he believes to be reasonable efforts to use illustrations that he

specifically and privately commissioned, or he believes to be legitimately from public domain

sources. Please, notify the author of any oversights so he can either fairly compensate the creator

of them and/or remove them from future editions. The author regrets any oversight and, if there

are any, they were unintentional.

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide

helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is sold with the

understanding that neither the author nor the publisher are engaged in rendering medical, health,

or any other kind of personal professional services in these learning materials. The reader should

consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the

suggestions in these resources or drawing inferences from them.

The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or

risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use

and application of any of the contents of this book.

Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D. [email protected]

http://www.garyscreatonpage.com/

http://www.genesisonlinetherapy.com/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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DEDICATION

No book or course is the result of the effort of just one person. Others are always involved.

At the top of the list of those who made this book possible is Dr. Clifford Christensen. "Cliff," as

most of his students knew him, was Department Chair when I had the good fortune to have him

for my Psychology Professor at the Ontario Institute of Education (O.I.S.E.) in Toronto, Ontario,

Canada. He was a caring, insightful, encouraging, and good-natured taskmaster who challenged

me to think creatively. When he agreed to be my Thesis Advisor, I could not have been more

fortunate. He helped me focus and to believe the work was worth the effort. This course is the

direct result of the research of Dr. Christensen and the contributions of those who worked with

him1 as he developed the model presented here.

In a very real way, Cliff Christensen and his team are the lead authors of this course and I its

co-author. I will always be grateful to Cliff for giving me permission to take his research and

publications and to develop them into the present work and the companion Programed

Workbook. Together with the audio/video material, they form a self-instructional system to help

every reader become a more effective person. I have built this course and all its component parts

upon Development and Field-testing of an Interpersonal Coping Skills Program. In 1974, Dr.

Christensen, and others2 in the Department of Applied Psychology at the Ontario Institute for

Studies in Education, published the original work. The foundation of this book is the work done

through Research and Development Project Number 812.

Due to Dr. Christensen's encouragement and direction while I was his student, I was able to

complete the two volumes that make up the Pressing Your Own Buttons: Take Control of Your

Life So Others Don’t!™ self-counseling system, a.k.a., The PICS ™ Self-Counseling and

Psychotherapy System™

In his honor, a portion of all proceeds from the sale of each of the volumes and related

resources will go to a scholarship named in his honor. The scholarship will go to a Psychology

Student in the O.I.S.E. Graduate School at the University of Toronto.

Cliff, I thank you for being you and for teaching me that I can press my own buttons!

Gary Screaton Page, Ph.D.

1B. Bloch (Research Officer), and I. Briedis, R. Elsie, J. Heath, H. Shannon (Graduate Assistants). 2 See footnote 1.


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Table of Contents

Table of Contents ....................................................................... iv

LESSON 1 .................................................................................... 5

The Beginning of Wisdom ................................................................... 5

In Lesson 1 You Will Learn.................................................................................................... 5

Sample Learning Frames ........................................................................................................ 6

Programmed material begins now: ......................................................................................... 7

ACTIVITY 1.1 ........................................................................................................................ 7

ACTIVITY 1.2 ...................................................................................................................... 11

ACTIVITY 1.3 ...................................................................................................................... 12

ACTIVITY 1.4 ...................................................................................................................... 12

ACTIVITY 1.5 ...................................................................................................................... 12


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LESSON 1

The Beginning of Wisdom

This Programmed Learning material covers the same information as is in the original

Pressing Your Own Buttons: How to Take Control of Your Life So Others Don’t!™

Self-

Counseling Manual. However, I have simplified the content in the workbook and arranged the

material within a series of learning frames. Each frame introduces or expands upon a specific

idea, then asks you to respond in a specified manner: by checking one or more answers,

underlining a word or phrase, or writing a word or phrase in a blank space.

Learning Frame example.

Where will the answer appear? _________________________

Answer: Will appear here.

When you get to the line at the bottom of each frame, the answer for that frame is about to

appear. As you finish reading each frame and responding to it, check your response with the

answer given. When you have answered the question and confirmed your answer, go on to the

In Lesson 1 You Will Learn

1. To use linear-programmed learning.

2. The 3 ways people affect us.

3. Our 3 three responses to troublesome people.

4. The 5 most common troublesome behavior of others.

5. The meanings of “social stimulus” and “social stimuli”

and why it's important to know.

6. To give examples of social stimuli.


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next frame and repeat the process unless you are told to do otherwise at that point. See Samples

A-C below.

Sample Learning Frames

A. The sum of the numbers 2 and 2 is ___.

Answer: 4

B. Macbeth was written by:

_____ Milton

_____ Euripides

_____ Shakespeare

_____ Dickens

Answer: Shakespeare

C. H2O is the chemical formula for water.

__ True

__ False

Answer: True


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Programmed material begins now:

People affect us in many different ways. They affect us by what they say, do, and even by

how they look.

When a friend of ours is smiling and happy, we feel better and talk more freely to the person;

but, if the same person is crying or unhappy, we will probably become more cautious, be quieter,

and then we might ask the person what is wrong. Many of us have experienced this and it’s no

great discovery to anyone. However, sometimes what people do affects us too much.

ACTIVITY 1.1

1.1a

List some examples of behavior you can’t stand.

Answer: Answers will vary.

Others Affect us…

By what they:

Do

Say

How they look


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What Presses Your Buttons?


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1.1b

John’s behavior is affected by his girlfriend’s crying. Not everyone is affected by crying. Some

of us are affected by other behaviors such as criticism, ignoring, being told what to do, even

affection and friendliness.

Go on to next frame.

1.2

Behaviors such as criticism anger, and shouting which affect us ace called social stimuli.

Go on to next frame.

1.3

Social stimuli are behaviors that tend to:

___ Make us want to get away from/change them.

___ Make us avoid doing things.

___ Over-control and restrict us.

___ Make us tense.

___ All of these.

Answer: All of these.

1.3

S_______________ S_____________ have a controlling affect on our own behavior.

Answer: Social Stimuli

1.4

You can learn to change your feelings or evaluations about other people’s behavior because


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you l____ed these feelings in the first place.

Answer: learned

1.5

Since your reactions to social stimuli are learned it is possible to change your responses to the

social stimuli and thus feel better and cope more effectively.

______ True _______ False

Answer: True

1.6

You _______ your responses to ___________ ____________, so you can change your

responses to them.

Answer: learned, social stimuli

Significant Others…

Sometimes theyhelp us.

Teachers & Bosses…


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1.7

Evaluations and feelings about ____________ ____________be changed because we

____________ them in the first place.

Answer: social stimuli, learned

ACTIVITY 1.2 In your own words, describe, in as much detail as possible, another social stimulus you can’t

stand. Imagine, that John, through some experiences becomes more comfortable with his

girlfriend’s crying* By that I mean he becomes more comfortable with her crying, so that he

doesn’t feel he has to do anything about it but rather he can choose to do something about it if he


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so wishes. How do you think John would change if he didn’t mind so much seeing his girlfriend

cry?

ACTIVITY 1.3 Make a list of questions you have about The PICS ™ Self-Counseling and Psychotherapy

System™ thus far. This exercise will help you focus on different pacts of the program, as we

come to them. As we work together through Pressing Your Own Buttons TM

, your questions

will be answered. For now, it is important for you to get your questions down while they are

fresh in your mind. In doing so, you will get more from the remainder of the program.

ACTIVITY 1.4 An important part of The PICS ™ Self-Counseling and Psychotherapy System™ is learning

how to observe others and yourself more carefully. You will also learn to figure out what to do to

get the results you want. We designed ACTIVITY 1.4 to help you become more aware of how

people interact.

Observe one person. Watch what they do and see how what they do affects what another

person does. Record your observations below. Note what the main person you are observing

says, does, and how he/she looks. Also note how the other person reacts. What do they say or

do? How do they look?

ACTIVITY 1.5 Go to a park, or other public place, or you may even watch a T.V. program to do this

exercise. Observe two people interacting and record what each says, does, or how each looks.

Note how the behavior of each person affects the other.


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Record your observations below. Note what each person says, does, and how he/she looks.

Also note how the other person reacts. What do they say, do, or how do they look?

Remember: Note what you really see, not what you think the behavior means. For example,

don’t put, “He got angry.” Write, “He shouted and then he threw his arms up in the air. He had a

stern look on his face and began swearing.”

Good job! Stop here.

When you have also read the MANUAL, viewed the VIDEO, and completed

the QUIZ for this lesson, please, go on to LESSON 2.

Documents

Lesson 1...publications and to develop them into the present work and the companion Programed Workbook. Together with the audio/video material, they form a self-instructional system