The Neuroconstructionist Approach to Coaching

December 17, 2024
A Historical Perspective: The Pitfalls of Blobology
For decades, the quest to locate the faculties of the mind within specific brain regions captivated neuroscientists. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) brought colorful images of brain "blobs" that appeared to correlate with mental faculties like memory, emotions, and decision-making. This approach, termed "blobology," promised a future where brain activity could be neatly mapped to psychological functions. However, the optimism was short-lived.
Blobology failed to deliver on its promise for several reasons. The brain does not function as a set of isolated modules, each responsible for distinct mental faculties. Instead, its processes are highly interconnected, with neural networks interacting dynamically. Studies revealed inconsistencies in localization efforts—brain areas like the fusiform face area (FFA), a region in the ventral temporal lobe associated with facial recognition, were found to function differently across experiments and individuals. While the FFA has been linked to face perception, further research has demonstrated that its activity is context-dependent and influenced by broader neural networks, raising doubts about the modular view of the brain. This failure highlighted the limitations of the "faculty psychology" approach, which conceptualized mental faculties such as emotions, cognition, and behaviors as distinct entities.
Most coaching models mirror these limitations. By treating emotions, cognition, and behaviors as discrete targets for intervention, traditional coaching frameworks often fail to account for the dynamic, integrative nature of the human mind. This reductive approach misses the complexity of how mental states are constructed and can lead to fragmented interventions that address symptoms rather than causes.
The Emergence of Psychological Construction
A transformative perspective, known as psychological construction, offers a way out of these conceptual dead ends. Pioneered by early thinkers like William James and expanded by contemporary researchers such as Lisa Feldman Barrett, this approach posits that all mental life (emotions, thoughts, and perceptions) is not innate or modular but constructed. James (1842-1910), a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher often regarded as the father of modern psychology, laid the groundwork for this idea. His work emphasized that psychological states emerge from the interplay of more basic elements, a view that continues to shape modern theories. Barrett's contributions further advanced this framework through her theory of constructed emotions, which argues that emotions are not universal, biologically hardwired responses but rather constructed experiences shaped by core affect, conceptual knowledge, and social context. Mental states arise from the integration of these basic "ingredients" rather than being hardwired into the brain as fixed entities.
These ingredients include:
- Core Affect: The fundamental experience of valence (pleasant/unpleasant) and arousal (high/low energy).
- Sensory Inputs: Signals from the external world and the body’s internal state.
- Conceptual Knowledge: Stored experiences and learned frameworks that give meaning to raw sensory data.
- Attention: The selective focus that integrates relevant information into coherent mental states.
These ingredients interact within the brain’s intrinsic networks—seven large-scale systems that underpin all mental activity:
- Default Network (DN): Involved in self-referential thinking and imagination.
- Dorsal Attention Network (DAN): Governs goal-directed focus.
- Ventral Attention Network (VAN): Detects salient, unexpected stimuli.
- Frontoparietal Network (FPN): Supports executive control and decision-making.
- Limbic Network (LN): Drives affect and reward processing.
- Somatomotor Network (SMN): Coordinates sensory and motor actions.
- Visual Network (VN): Processes visual information.
Rather than treating mental faculties as isolated entities, the psychological construction model views them as emergent properties of interactions among these networks and their underlying ingredients. This view redefines how we understand and facilitate change.
Toward the Next Coaching Revolution: Constructionist Coaching
Coaching, as a discipline, is poised for a paradigm shift. The next revolution will integrate the principles of psychological construction, transforming how we approach personal and professional development. By acknowledging that mental states are constructed, coaches can focus on altering the ingredients and networks that shape a client’s experiences and behaviors. This shift will address not only the "what" but also the "how" of human development.
A constructionist approach in coaching emphasizes:
- Understanding Context: Situational and cultural factors that influence how individuals construct their mental states.
- Leveraging Core Ingredients: Identifying and modifying the ingredients (e.g., attention, conceptual knowledge) that drive dysfunctional patterns.
- Harnessing Neuroplasticity: Recognizing that the brain’s networks are dynamic and adaptable, and interventions can reshape these pathways over time.
Introducing Neuroconstructionist Coaching
Neuroconstructionist Coaching, developed by BrainFirst® Institute founder Ramon David, is the first coaching methodology developed from modern neuroscience and psychological construction first principles. As a theoretically-driven model it introduces a new paradigm for understanding human experience, behavior and long-term change. Key concepts include:
- Second-Order Change: Most interventions attempt to change client behavior by working with behavior. This is known as first-order change. This overlooks the subjective and constructed nature of human experience. Second-order change involves helping the client change the interaction of the basic ingredients of an unhelpful psychological state, including behavior, to construct a new and more helpful one that updates the brain’s "internal model". For example, a client with high levels of arousal in neutral social situations, based on their past experiences and conceptual knowledge, may experience feelings of anxiousness. Through second-order change, the client can alter their brain's predictions about what their bodily sensations mean in those situations, by restructuring the conceptual relations that led to them feeling anxious. This process reshapes their internal model so that their brain's predictions produce a different constructed experience in that context, such as excitement. By restructuring predictions about internal sensations and their meaning, in relation to incoming information, second-order change enables the emergence of new and more helpful psychological states, empowering clients to act more effectively.
- Situated Conceptualization: Recognizing how social and cultural contexts shape clients’ mental constructs and behavior is a vital part of the constructionist coaching approach. For example, a client from a culture emphasizing high power distance, as described in Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, might have internalized hierarchical norms that discourage assertive behavior. Coaches can guide such clients to identify these contextual influences, helping them to construct new, empowering interpretations. By addressing these cultural dimensions and their impact on mental constructs, constructionist coaching can foster more adaptive and effective behavior patterns.
While these are only two of the key concepts of neuroconstructionist coaching, by working with the “ingredients” that construct mental life and guide behavior, we can empower clients to make deep, sustainable changes. Rather than treating behaviors, thoughts, or emotions as isolated entities, the neuroconstructionist coaching model aligns with how the brain naturally constructs experience, leading to holistic growth and effective action.
Final Thoughts
Built from the ground up, the theoretically-driven neuroconstructionist approach to coaching represents a groundbreaking integration of psychological construction and neuroscience. By moving beyond the outdated framework of faculty psychology and embracing the dynamic, constructed nature of mental life, this approach offers a powerful new way to facilitate transformation. As coaches adopt this approach, they will not only transform individual's lives but also contribute to the broader evolution of coaching as a science and practice.
To learn more about neuroconstruction and the future of coaching, click here to enroll in the free course.