The Curmudgeonly Trainer

Piaget suggested there are four stages of development, rigid in sequence (since questioned), and hierarchical, moving from sensory through to abstract processes. Piaget suggested that what can be learned and applied is restricted…that is until the child is at the right level, certain tasks cannot be learned or  performed, cognitively.
Piagetians never looked beyond the approximate [...]

Robert initially writes this as a concern about the field of NLP:
If you are the type of person who looks at the “proof” about  Scientology  only on scientology sites, then great. The problem here is that the NLP  machine is a “business enterprise”, and as such any research from NLP  sources has to be examined [...]

In response to a suggestion that NLP is NOT based on either clinical or experimental psychology (the latter is correct, and the former can be debated, Robert writes:
I’m not sure I go that far. Some of it is based on psycholinguistics, some on counselling (a la Virginia Satir). I’m a bit rusty but I believe [...]

A trainer indicated she was quite taken with the “magic” on NLP, which, right away, should throw up warning signs, but what the heck…
Here’s a short comment on NLP.
Just to add on the NLP thing, and I express this as a personal opinion, which many disagree with. NLP is a collection of techniques drawn or [...]

In a discussion of web versus paper and pencil type evaluations, tests etc, often used by trainers or even by HR in selection, someone contended that the modality did not affect results. Dead wrong, and dangerously so particularly if the evaluation is challenged in court. Robert explains
The deal with personality tests, etc., and perhaps other [...]

Generally, almost everyone who’s “heard about Skinner”, (and that includes people with a little academic education in psychology) really don’t understand exactly the point of Skinner’s work.
The details about operant conditioning, reinforcement, antecedent stimuli, etc, are, of course important to his work. But his MAJOR position was something far more broad, because  Skinner had a [...]

Don Clark, who is a prolific internet poster and website owner and I had a conversation about understanding the differences between concept and skill. Although we didn’t solve the issue, it’s interesting for trainers, since what we teach affects (or should) how we teach.
Don starts off (the parts with the >)
> If I learn to [...]