Thought you guys might be interested in this article:
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HIGH CONTROL GROUPS PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL
Kaynor Weishaupt, MFT
Certain types of groups, which I refer to as "High Control" groups make particular demands on individuals that can decrease autonomy and cause psychological problems for members. The type of group referred to here as High Control is defined by the degree of control and restriction the group exercises over its members' everyday lives. Such a group can be focused on religion, politics, militarism, psychotherapy, meditation, commercialism, or simply a "special" leader. A High Control group differs from other groups in that individual behavior is excessively limited by rules and regulations, access to information is restricted or managed (especially information critical of the group), pressure is high to conform in thought and behavior to group norms, and members must put the group's interests before their own. The leadership in this type of group is absolute and considered infallible; outsiders are generally viewed as dangerous or evil, and members leaving the group are generally punished or shunned.
The degree of control that groups exert on their membership varies greatly. In many groups, both religious and otherwise, guidelines for living and doctrinal wisdom are provided, but individuals retain a great deal of control over their lives on many levels. In a High Control group, the individual relinquishes her control to the group's zeitgeist. Individuals are seen as incapable of directing their own lives and are in constant need of direction and structure from those who are more capable and wise or who are more in touch with "God's will."
I define a High Control group as a group in which:
1. Members experience negative consequences for nonconformist behavior or
attitudes (such as questioning doctrine or disagreeing with the party line).
2. Information is controlled, especially if critical of the group.
3. Leadership is absolute and not bound by checks and balances.
4. Individual behavior is excessively limited by rules and regulations (legalism).
5. Outsiders are generally viewed as dangerous or evil, or associations with
outsiders are primarily in order to convert them.
6. Members are required to give up their own interests or make sacrifices in favor
of group activities.
7. Members leaving the group are punished or shunned.
Psychological literature refers to an individual's source of motivation as their "locus of control." Locus of control is viewed as either internal, that is, stemming from inside the self, or as external, where control is attributed to sources outside the self such as another person, group, or adopted philosophy. Studies have shown that people with an internal locus of control tend to fare better psychologically then those whose locus of control is external. Having an internal locus of control has been found to correlate significantly with feelings of happiness and self-esteem. People with an external locus of control tend to have difficulty accepting responsibility for their lives and tend to blame forces outside themselves for difficulties when they arise. Those involved in High Control groups have their reality defined by the group's ideals, that is, their locus of control is external.
In a High Control group the group dictates what is acceptable behavior, what and who is good and bad, and so on. Ambivalence, uncertainty, moral struggles, and conflicting feelings are tidily resolved by the group's dictates. For the practiced group member, such feelings are repressed before even being raised to consciousness.
In High Control groups doubt and ambivalence are seen as "moral weakness." Should doubt arise, members are exhorted to "work harder" and "have more faith." In many cases, the group defines how one should even feel. Certain feelings and thoughts are defined as "bad," while others are seen as "good." The world is perceived in black and white. The individual in a High Control group does not have to struggle to develop her own beliefs and perceptions because they are defined, interpreted, and predicated by the group. Right and wrong are known, not discovered.
In a High Control group, truth is presented as indisputable, solid, and reassuring fact. Questioning or deciding for oneself about right or wrong is viewed as a potentially fatal sin or as being under the influence of the devil. The danger of this "certainty of experience" occurs when a member cannot successfully dismiss doubt and ambivalence, or cannot repress unseemly emotional experiences such as envy, lust, and so forth. Cognitive dissonance is then experienced. Cognitive dissonance can be defined as a sense of unease or disharmony which occurs when feelings or reality fail to match one's beliefs or opinions. Cognitive dissonance theory predicts that once one has invested time and energy into a course of action, inconsistencies will be ignored because the advantages of continuing on course will tend to outweigh the uncertainty of changing. It has been found that once a decision is made in a given direction, confidence that the decision is correct tends to increase, regardless of evidence to the contrary
A person with an internal "locus of control" defines and interprets her experience by a set of internal judgments, comparison of prior to current experiences, and a singular set of moral values that has been refined and constructed through trial and error. The internally defined person will periodically experience cognitive dissonance and ambivalence because feelings and judgments are constantly being refined and adapted through experience. When conflict is successfully resolved for the internally defined person, personal growth and a higher level of functioning is achieved. When conflict and cognitive dissonance are not adequately resolved, the internally defined person may experience substantial psychological symptoms. He or she may then be tempted to turn to an external structuring system such as a High Control group to help quell uncertainty and provide a sense of direction.
For the person with an external locus of control, cognitive dissonance presents a difficult conundrum. In a High Control group, one is told what is right to feel and believe. Yet when feelings and beliefs cannot be reconciled with the party line, the only "safe" solution is to disavow or ignore the inconsistencies.
In a High Control environment, the only solution for conflict and cognitive dissonance is to repress the feelings and beliefs that do not "fit," or to abandon the external definition of self (as defined by the group's ideals) and develop an internally-based belief system. Repression as a solution does not actually eradicate the problem of conflicting feelings and thoughts, however. In the short run, repression creates a sense of superficial comfort, enabling the individual to return to status quo to maintain membership and relationships within the group and to avoid the messy and frightening process of reexamining one's values. Repressed issues do not disappear; however; they are simply buried, like toxic waste. Buried issues invariably reappear, usually at inconvenient times (for the High Control group member, any time is inconvenient). The longer these issues remain repressed, the more toxic and potentially disruptive their reemergence. Repression usually leads to some form of anxiety, depression, or other form of emotional/mental dysfunction. At the very least, repressing conflict consumes a great deal of psychological energy, which has the tendency to become generalized, that is, one's life is not partially influenced by repression; instead, all areas of emotional and intellectual experience are affected. The person who pushes away all feelings of dissatisfaction or pain will have a difficult time experiencing true joy and satisfaction. The person who consistently avoids intellectual questioning will gradually lose her ability to think critically.
As repressed issues fester like a wound that has closed but never healed, dangerous psychological and behavioral symptoms can appear. These symptoms can include substance abuse, eating disorders, sexual acting out, obsessions, phobias, personality disorders, depression, and suicide. Likewise, the High Control group member who represses doubts or unacceptable feelings may develop symptoms such as phobias, depression, anxiety, or compulsions. These symptoms serve to express cognitive dissonance and conflictual feelings while enabling the member to avoid consciously confronting dangerous doubts or feelings.
If cognitive dissonance cannot be reconciled with the group's ideals, the member is placed in a position of developing psychological problems, or struggling with the possibility of abandoning an external definition of self and developing an internally-based belief system. It is then that you see people exiting these types of groups, often emerging with significant relational, emotional and ideological issues.
Kaynor Weishaupt practices in San Rafael and Petaluma, and specializes in working with infertility issues, ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, and MFT orals coaching. She can be reached for further information and references on the above article at (415) 721-2790. For more information please see camftmembers.com/northbaytherapy or [email protected].