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Action Flow in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Rituals: a model based on Extended Synergetics and a Comment on the 4th Law

Journal: Journal of Advances in Physics (Vol.5, No. 3)

Publication Date:

Authors : ;

Page : 845-853

Keywords : ;

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Abstract

The flow of actions in rituals of obsessive individuals is discussed from a nonlinear physics perspective. An amplitude equation model based on extended synergetics is studied. The amplitude dynamics describes both the behavioral actions and the experienced emotions during obsessive-compulsive disorder rituals. The model suggests that in addition to the behavioral and emotional levels that are accessible to external observation and self-reports there are hidden levels captured by parameter dynamics that determine the action flow in obsessive-compulsive disorder rituals. The model can also be used to discuss on the mechanistic and behavioral levels differences between purposeful and purposeless rituals. While purposeful rituals involve a continuous control of the emotional level over the behavioral level, purposeless rituals do not exhibit such a continuous control mechanism. Finally, it is argued that the selection principle determining the action flow in obsessive-compulsive disorder rituals is consistent with the so-called 4th law of non-equilibrium phase transitions in animate and inanimate systems

Last modified: 2015-01-16 20:08:23