THE MODEL

Shead's model (Fig. 1) possesses two 'media' terms, two 'matter' terms and two 'meaning' terms (to use the established F.D.M. and 'Accelerated Development' jargon). These phenomena sit on two separate 'rings' that are of different order and yet truly complementary. The meta-control is situated space-time wise at the mid point, sandwiched between the two rings.

The two 'matter' terms are STRUCTURE and ELEMENTS. The two 'media' terms are MODE and MOOD. The two 'meaning' terms are KNOWLEDGE and DISPLAY.

Before defining the three twin-terms it may be useful to give some idea of how the meta-control relates to them in F.D.M., and also how these essential relationships become established. It is as though there were six rheostats connecting the meta-control with the other elements. When the meta-control is functioning properly each of these rheostats can, and will, readjust continuously, always homing on to the optimum setting that gives the most beneficial and most meaningful output. They obey the basic equation, viz. APPROPRIATE FORM necessitates making (MEDIA + MATTER) MEANINGFUL.*

Prior to the time when meta-control is established within thinking for the first time (or re-established after a lapse) the learning process can be one of experimentally, but deliberately, adjusting each of the 'rheostats' in turn, or adjusting several simultaneously.

The adjustment requirements both for F.D.M. and for any lower order technique can be gleaned from careful reflection on the sub- concepts that are contained within the interpretation of the main terms. The following examples of such sub-concepts suffer inevitably the fate of all words, namely, they will suggest slightly different things to different people. In combination the examples given will, we hope, communicate much of the general aura of meaning of each major concept.

* See "Ideal Development and Advancement in Engineering", Systematics, Vol. 8, No. 3, Dec. 1970. "Technique of Total Development", Systematics, Vol. 9, No. 2, Sept. 1971. "Controlling the Creative Process", Systematics Vol. 10, No. 2, Sept. 1972.

1.      Structure

The essence of the network of inter-relationships and components in the system, including the characteristic outline form from which the forces tending towards a solution have to be constrained in order to produce a result, efficiently, quickly and with minimum waste of energies, the major strategy ... the master plan ... the grand design ... the bonds for the critical elements ... the backbone ... a workable proposition for a successful solution . . . the underlying hypothesis . . . the underlying philosophy ... a Gestalt ... all of the interfaces in stark relief . . . the naked form . . . the vital embryo . . . the ecology of the system . . . the general scheme ... the overall system ... an outline map . . . the main 'chunks' . . . the principal planes and rela­tionships ... the inner matrix of matter that corresponds to the media-matrix . . . the critical space-time relationship . . . the necessary growth lines ... the seed thoughts . . . the main mental platform . . . the launching pad for time space exploration . . the major freedoms and the major constraints . . . the archetype for the actual . . . the foundations (3- or more dimensional) . . . the macrocosm viewed from afar ... the backcloth ... the stage for the action ... the central organization . . . the basis of the total composition . . . the underlying theme or plot.

2.     Mode

The style, the manner, the distinctive characteristic which dis­ tinguishes this approach from all others . . . The more immediate philosophy within the general problem solving approach ... the special basic bias maintained throughout the entire episode, or within major elements of it ... The sum and womb of the attitudes, intentions and responses to the needs . . . the kind of needs contact . . . the depths, breadth and heights that one permits oneself to traverse in conforming to the outline strategy . . . the essentially dynamic characteristic . . . the major plane of human involvement . . . the central medium ... the vibrational and cyclic undercurrents that act as carrier waves throughout the thinking ... the special quality and blend of imagination and judge­ ment employed throughout ... the manner of exploitation, particularly of the freedoms and constraints ... the way in which one's energies, intentions and actions are released and regulated ... the focussing of efforts . . . how the intelligence, the will force and all the other faculties are committed and deployed . . . the special nuance . . . the behavioural 'set' . . . the harnessing of inner rhythms . . . the extent of objectivity, involvement and understanding . . . how close one keeps to the borders of understanding and total energy resources . . . how fundamental the central medium is ... whether 'end' or 'process' orientated . . . whether forceful or relaxed . . . vacillating or purposeful . . . pressured or lazy . . . reflective or decisive . . . how much risk and uncertainty is permitted . . . whether logical or intuitive . . . the way hi which all of the external and the internal senses are deployed . . . the extent of guesswork and proof . . . collaborating or individualistic . . . how creative and innovative at every point as distinct from following known pathways, principles and precepts . . . concerned very much with the 'Plane of Contact' of the basic F.D.M. terminology. (Fig. 2.)

3.     Knowledge

The sum of the available experience, learning, stored and input data and of the extent of its use within the structure and general mode of the approach that is currently active. . . . More a matter of the know­ ledge that is actually being put to use than of that which could be used but isn't . . . the resultant or emergent from the library search . . . one's active awareness of the 'state of the art' and what can and cannot be done with certainty of success . . . includes awareness of what has failed and some insight into why ... the residue of one's formal learning . . . the real lessons that have been learned through living . . . one's preconcepts, both limiting and beneficial . . . prejudices and certainty of 'things that ain't so' ... understanding of fundamental laws and principles . . . the bedrock of theory from which one is able to build . . . known concepts which are thought to have a bearing upon the subject in hand . . . includes important self-knowledge that can correct for and guard against rash action and human weakness . . . the extra inputs from remotely associated thoughts and activities . . . analogies that serve as subtle building blocks . . . preformed packages from other sources that are accepted, either critically or uncritically . . . thoughts complete in themselves . . . the essential reaction to former 'critical' incidents . . . much of what has been acquired from parents and from personalities who have had a major influence . . . hunches regarding answers, prospects and feasibilities . . . other people's ideas known to be partially or totally applicable . . . activated memories . . . includes the content of day dreams and idealizations . . . interpretations, including interpretations of fears, feelings and forebodings . . . extrapolations . . . definite points of meaning . . . awareness of trend curves . . . genuine 'feel' for the future . . . pearls of wisdom . . . that which is known in every fibre of being . . . includes that which was recently unconscious but which comes into consciousness in response to deep felt need . . . includes knowledge of people and empathy with natural phenomena . . . the basic, well proven, fully available data . . . includes the outputs from a deliberate memory search . . . includes awareness of legitimate constraints and also of the unreasonable inevitable . . . includes awareness of what one does not know; of the present boundaries of and uncertainties in one's appreciations . . . includes knowledge of appropriate and currently expedient cut-off points . . . opinions and suggestions judged in the light of and from the background of those who make them . . . includes inputs of data whose function is to expose further knowledge inputs . . . includes precise knowledge of catalysts (promoters) directors and controls as identified in the basic F.D.M. teaching . . . also of 'mental signposts' and 'mental landmarks' that relate to the same basic terminology.

4.    Elements

Options within the structural framework. Sub-routines . . . tactics . . . detailed procedures and methods . . . behaviour patterns suggested by and incorporated within the application of the basic structure . . . the moves within the game . . . local cunning . . . the sub-structure that exploits the freedoms that are still available . . . application of 'mental roulettes' (F.D.M. terminology) . . . local organization ... the translation and execution of the higher level commands . . . common sense moves . . . gambits . . . the actual journey along proved or intended pathways . . . structure at the level of microcosm . . . the inner form of the inner aspects and characteristics . . . selection and use of familiar tools from one's mental kit-bag . . . the deliberately imposed mechanism for producing simplicity, internal consistency, validity, proof, etc. ... the beginnings of precise definition in detailed form . . . includes many of the points of departure and also many of the points of decision . . . like the outline structure the elements can and should be homing on the underlying needs-complex, and hence attempting to mould form such that it is truly appropriate ... the hands and fingers of the potter . . . the detailed sculpturing . . . the intelligence within the minor actions . . . active awareness . . . local time-space explorations . . . the force lines of directed energy (F.D.M. terminology) . . . like STRUCTURE it relates primarily to the 'Plane of the Work' rather than to the 'Plane of Control' (F.D.M. terminology, Fig. 2).

5.    Mood

Ego content (both interpretations) ... the intrusion and inter­ actions of immature and also mature emotions . . . the intrusion and influence of one's Self Image and of one's Professional Image. (Note that these two aspects and the associated personal, professional and ethical 'consciences' also enter in part into the MODE aspect: The distinction here is not easily defined.) . . . The extent to which one's work can be viewed as a game as opposed to a burdensome task master: "If the going gets too hard, turn it into a game and enjoy it!"   .   .   .   the feeling that accompanies role-playing or the present mode and degree of identification and personal commitment ... the personal aspect of an assumed or unconsciously acquired attitude or value set or entire value system . . . the general tone of what one is experiencing that is a reaction to STRUCTURE, KNOWLEDGE, ELEMENT and MODE . . . often includes psychological content that has nothing whatever to do with the problem in hand . . . often relates to family and friendship worries and concerns ... is much influenced by how genuinely one is pleased or annoyed to be faced with the task of working on the problem: "Throw your heart over the highest stile and the whole of your body will be able to follow" . . . can be spoilt by thoughts of personal security and of promotional prospects, etc. ... is much influenced both by how fully one has truly accepted responsibility for solving the problem and how much one has decided, too proudly, that it is "no one else's business . . . is much influenced by the particular kind of pride that one has in one's work and by the quality of will-force (warm or cold) that is unleashed . . . depends also on how actively one's fears, hopes and frustrations are permitted to intrude within the overall mode of approach . . . requires a legitimate and necessary 'love' content. . . can be adversely influenced by over-sensitivity to signals or by an over-active imagination that sees consequences which mature judgement would not endorse as real ... is often 'upset' by wrong assumptions about how other people will view the present action and its results . . . can all too easily be 'thrown' by noise in the system ...   is often a direct consequence of how central the problem is to one's current plane of main interests and concerns ... is much related to the 'emotional age' of the problem solver: A Company Director or any manager or 'professional' person of 50 years can have an emotional age of only 5 years. This is a well established fact . . . depends a great deal upon the degree of immaturity that the problem solver is demanding as his 'right' . . . legitimately it can be in its most beneficial and healthy state when one does become 'as a little child' ... is a major component of the 'Plane of Contact' (F.D.M. terminology, Fig. 2).

6.    Display

The special way in which one permits or forces oneself to see what one is thinking, feeling and doing ... the distinctive content on ones own mental screen... the conscious (and, one hopes, continuous) output of one's own mental soliloquy . . . the 'visible' outputs of definite systems of mental monitoring, such as are practised in F.D.M. and 'Accelerated Development'. The precise form of imagery or symbolism adopted at any stage in a mental process . . . can be a display which has a structural form of three or more dimensions . . . can be a display that is 'seen' as a dynamic structure and/or in colour . . . can be a caricature, humorous or otherwise, with a very distinctive 'message' ... in highly developed forms, the display can easily and often 'flip' into quite different modes of expression, using quite different forms of symbolism and language . . . can be an immediate precipitation of the unconscious mind or alternatively a careful construction of consciousness ... is often conspicuous by its absence: "They pity me, but 'tis they who are the objects of pity. I possess my vision and my peace. They have bartered their birthright for a mess of pottage." (William Blake) ... the facility for producing the most direct and most truly appropriate and immediately useful form of mental display is often inhibited by over-emphasis on block-diagrams, mathematical forms, stark process charts, etc., in formal learning . . . can be a living concept, newly born in that moment and full of its own life and energies, all seen pictorially and in motion, as distinct from a dead concept that has been unwittingly accepted as important . . . can arise in consciousness, quite naturally, in response to the percepts that one is currently experiencing ... is the outward and visible sign of the richness or poverty of one's own creative capability . . . can be in the form of doodles or modern art imagery and still be of immense value for the solving of very complex problems . . . often has and needs to have a special character which relates as fully to the personality of the problem solver as to the nature of the problem itself . . . does not require to be intelligible to any other person than the problem solver himself, except when several minds are collectively involved in solving the same problem . . . can always be translated into other pictorial forms without losing its essential content . . . where several 'displays' of entirely different nature and language have to be integrated into a single output, it is quite possible for a flexible mind to find, at some point in the process of imagining, a uniform language of symbolism that can be made to contain all of the pre­ liminary displays . . . such a mind can work within a 'mental laboratory' surrounded by the equivalent of a vast variety of modern scientific instruments (and many very unusual ones).