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Incredible Psychology: Why Do We Think the World Is Kind?
In social psychology, the fragmented hypothesis theory states that experiencing a traumatic event can change how victims and survivors view themselves and the world. Developed by psychologist Ronnie Yanoff-Bulman in 1992, the theory focuses on the impact of negative events on three of our core assumptions: the overall goodness of the world, the meaning of the world, and our sense of self-worth. These basic beliefs are the cornerstone of our conceptual systems and are the assumptions we are least likely to detect and challenge. They form our “assumption world,” defined as “a set of strongly held assumptions about the world and the self that are confidently maintained and used as a means of identifying, planning, and acting.”
Historical BackgroundAccording to Yanoff-Bulman, traumatic life events destroy these core assumptions, and the process of coping with these traumas involves rebuilding a workable world of assumptions.
The Fragmented Hypothesis theory was elaborated in Janoff-Bulman's 1992 book, The Fragmented Hypothesis: The New Psychology of Trauma. Her early research focused on victimization and trauma, and over time the theory has been extensively researched and connected to other psychological theories such as Terror Management Theory.
Basic Assumptions
According to Janoff-Bulman, people generally hold three basic assumptions about the world that have been established and verified over many years of experience: the world is good, the world has meaning, and I have value. These are the silently existing assumptions that provide the foundation for our well-being and the guide for navigating our lives. Because of this, these assumptions give us a relative sense of vulnerability, allowing us to wake up each morning and face life.
In her book, Yanov-Bulman mentions that the most common response she heard while conducting research with different groups of victims was, “I never thought this could happen to me.”
The world is kind
This assumption concerns an individual's overall impression of the world and involves two sub-assumptions: the goodness of the world as an entity, and the goodness of the people in this world. Goodwill between the world and individuals (friends or family) develops from early interactions with caregivers. These two ideas can develop separately through selection experience, but this does not exclude the influence of each other.
The world has meaning
The second basic assumption concerns why events occur and why they happen to specific people. A meaningful world is one that has logic to it, where everyone's outcomes are linked to their actions or traits. When injustice happens to someone who “doesn’t deserve it,” it is considered unfair. Conversely, assume that a nice person encounters positive events, while a cautious person is able to avoid negative outcomes.
Sense of self-worth
The final basic assumption evaluates one's view of oneself as a positive, moral, and respectable being who should therefore achieve good outcomes in life. An individual's assessment of his or her self-worth affects his or her success in life. This positive sense of self-identity enables individuals to perform more effectively in the face of life's challenges.
Shattered Assumptions
According to this theory, these worldviews can be destroyed by extreme events, such as the killing of an innocent person, severe injury, or physical or emotional abuse. For example, these intense changes can be particularly traumatic for people who have led good lives because they have a strong optimistic view of the world and the collapse of these views can be more impactful.
Reconstruction Hypothesis
Once an individual has experienced such a trauma, new assumptions must be created or old ones revised in order to recover from the traumatic experience. Therefore, the negative effects of trauma are closely related to our worldviews, and if we modify these views, we can recover from trauma. Individuals need to rebuild a set of conceptual systems that will allow them to function effectively again, and this process varies from person to person and requires time and the assistance of a support system.
How can we recover from such experiences and rebuild our own values and worldview?
