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''' Background: What is it? '''

Shattered Assumptions theory is a phenomenon in which an individual’s views of his or herself, and the world, can be changed due to experiencing traumatic events. Such events include a large spectrum of experiences, from burglary, to being diagnosed with an illness. An individual’s understanding of the world is altered by being a victim/survivor of some kind of awful circumstance. The theory regards the impact horrible events have on three basic assumptions: the world is benevolent, the world is meaningful, and I am worthy. Shattered Assumptions Theory is important to death and loss because those are the most common traumatic events individuals face, along with terminal illness. The theory is based off of negative events and the impact it has on the basic human assumptions.

 Shattered Assumptions 

Shattered Assumptions is a theory of social psychology that is discussed in research today. The theory of assumptions regards our basic well-being and our sense of importance and perseverance. To do this, people have developed three basic assumptions that are accepted by every individual, every day.

 The Assumption of Benevolence 

The first assumption is “the world is benevolent”. This assumption regards how much goodness someone sees in the world. Benevolence is typically seen through people close to us rather than larger populations or the world as a whole. The degree of benevolence someone has can, in fact, be measured using the Negative Cognitions About the World Subscale. We find the good in the world based on our own experiences, the people we surround ourselves with, and the interactions we have with others. In death and loss, this assumption develops through interaction with family and medical caregivers such as doctors and nurses. This assumption helps individuals’ suffering from a traumatic event, or loss, find peace and find silver linings in unfortunate situations.

The Assumption of Meaning

The second assumption is “the world is meaningful”. This assumption focuses on the phrase “everything happens for a reason”. It is about why traumatic events happen to specific people rather than just why they happen. This second assumption addresses the possible outcomes of certain events. When something bad happens to a good or undeserving person it is seen as unfair. On the contrary, it is believed to be fair when something good happens to a good person, and something bad happens to a bad person; an individual’s behavior corresponds to the outcomes. This relates to death and loss because when a young person, such as a teenager, and especially younger children, become terminally ill, and/or face the possibility of death, such an event is considered “unfair”; the same is said for good people of all ages.

The Assumption of Worth

The third assumption is “I am worthy”. This assumption regards the idea that an individual believes his or herself to be decent, have good morals, and an overall positive person that deserves good. This assumption relates to their success in life and how they view their [possible] outcomes, giving he or she a sense of control.

 Recovery 

Shattered Assumptions happen when traumatic events occur, that break and challenge the three basic assumptions people make every day. Once “shattered”, the assumptions can be rebuilt by healing, acceptance, caretaking, etc. By modifying the three basic assumptions, or finding new ones, individuals who experience traumatic events can recover and better their physical and mental health. Every experience affects each person differently; therefore, time for change and growth depends on the individual. A burglary may cause severe distress in one person, while it is only slightly disturbing to another. These differences cause different lengths and methods of recovery. Such results are demonstrated in a study conducted by Shuelar and Boals using three different types of traumatic event scenarios and a sample of college students (see reference four for more information regarding this specific study) Gaining new, or rebuilding the assumptions takes time and demonstrates courage and perseverance in the survivor.

 Criticism 

The Shattered Assumptions Theory, like any other theory in psychology, has its set of critics. Some studies have found no relationship between trauma and the assumptions of meaningfulness and benevolence. Other researchers show that the theory has theoretical and methodological issues. Because of this, evidence to prove this assumptions theory is lacking, and has been difficult to test. Shattered Assumptions Theory has been shown to closely resembles the Terror Management Theory, another theory of social psychology, casting doubt on the basis of the Shattered Assumptions Theory.

References

♣	Edmondson, D. (2009). From shattered assumptions to weakened worldviews: Evidence of anxiety buffer disruption in individuals with trauma symptoms. Dissertation Abstracts International, 70, 3167.

♣	Mills, M. A. (2011). Shattered assumptions? A prospective study: The impact of trauma on global beliefs and adjustment. Dissertation Abstracts International, 72, 3101.

♣	Janoff-Bulman, Ronnie. (1992) Shattered Assumptions: Towards a New Psychology of Trauma. New York, NY. The Free Press

♣	Schuler, E. R., & Boals, A. (2016). Shattering world assumptions: A prospective view of the impact of adverse events on world assumptions. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, And Policy, 8(3), 259-266