I was intrigued in WITW to read about 1st and 2nd order change. I have to admit I know very little about the subject. I found the following couple of sites useful.


I'm wondering if someone can enlighten me as to anything they know around this area.

This site references Bateson and Watzlawick:
About first-order and second-order changes

This mentions it too:
A premise about first and second-order human changes

Hi Sam,

First order change: Remedial change.

This is a more functionally optimal change in a specific behaviour in context. The change occurs at the same logical level as the 'problematic' behaviour.

Second order change: Generative change.

This is a more functionally optimal change in an entire category of behaviours in context. The change occurs a logical level above the 'problematic' behaviour.

Third order change: Evolutionary change.

This is a more functionally optimal change across multiple categories of behaviour, usually in a number of contexts. The change occurs two logical levels above the 'problematic' behaviour.

Hope that's helpful, Sam.

Be Well,

Michael Perez

Nice stuff Michael! Thanks for adding in the 3rd order change!

Hi Michael,

If I remember correctly (I don't have the book to hand), WITW talked about a different kind of 1st order and 2nd order change. If I remember correctly it is as follows:

1st order change is about re-patterning in 'primary' experience and the basis of 1st order change is anchoring.

2nd order change is about behaviours and the basis of 2nd order change is re-framing.

Forgive me if that's an excessively light recollection.

Cheers

Hi Sam

I teach the concept of Second Order Change to my practitioners, and recommend that they read [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Change-Principles-Problem-Formation-Resolution/dp/0393011046/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217623010&sr=8-2"]Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution[/ame] by Watzlawick, Weakland and Fisch.

Also [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-order-Change-Psychotherapy-Effective-Treatments/dp/1591474361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217623145&sr=1-1"]Second-order Change in Psychotherapy: The Golden Thread That Unifies Effective Treatments[/ame] by J. Scott Fraser and Andrew D. Solovey is IMO a useful read.

If you are interested, I have a brief article on Second Order Change on my website. This is for the 'general populous' and is therefor pretty non-technical.

All the very best

James