This is the current version of the Model of Situations and Trajectories that was used in the LEP Study, and that is still being used in the CCHE Studies.
Agent
An Agent is a system that is capable of experiencing its surroundings, and of acting purposefully to change those surroundings, and its situation within them.
A Person (as normally understood) is such an Agent.
Situation
A Situation denotes a relationship between an Agent and some aspect of the Agent's Environment.
In this context (that is, in the LEP and CCHE Studies), ‘the Environment' refers to the Agent's surroundings as experienced by the Agent, rather than as observed, experienced, conceptualised or measured by a third party.
Telic Attractors and Repellers
A Telic Attractor is a Situation that an Agent considers to be desirable. If the Agent is (and believes it is) capable of acting purposefully to approach such a Situation, it will do so, with a view to attaining it; the Agent will also, if capable of doing so, act purposefully in an attempt to maintain the Situation once it has been attained.
A Telic Repeller is a Situation that an Agent considers to be undesirable. If the Agent is (and believes it is) capable of acting purposefully to avoid such a Situation, it will do so.
Aspirations, Attainments, Threats and Problems
Aspirations, Attainments, Problems and Threats are Situations pertaining to a Person.
When a Telic Attractor is actualised, it is an Attainment; otherwise, it is an Aspiration.
When a Telic Repeller is actualised, it is a Problem; otherwise, it is a Threat.
Table 1: Situations in terms of Desirability and Actualisation
|
|
Actualised |
Unactualised |
|
Desirable |
Attainment |
Aspiration |
|
Undesirable |
Problem |
Threat |
Importance
A Situation's Importance denotes its current relevance or salience to the Person; the more important the Situation, the more the Person will try to approach or avoid it, if he or she is (and believes s/he is) capable of doing so.
Life Situation
A Persons Life Situation consist of all aspects of the Self and of the Environment of which he or she is aware, including all of his or her Aspirations, Attainments, Problems and Threats, the Plans and Actions that he or she has undertaken in order to address them, and his or her Beliefs about the Self and the Environment (some aspects of which will be perceived as neither desirable nor undesirable).
Life Trajectory
A Person's Life Trajectory is the historical sequence of his or her past Life Situations, plus the future Life Situations that he or she intends to approach or avoid.
