Learning to Handle High -Risk Environmental Situations

Abstract

Analysis of the data indicate that a complex dilemma exists for individuals who handle high-risk environmental situations. The three sub-dilemmas are: control versus autonomy; doing procedures versus innovating; handling environmental situations seen as relatively risky versus safe work. To resolve the complex dilemma it was found desirable to consider autonomy, innovating, and safe work as the dystonic aspects of the dilemma; control, doing procedures, and handling environmental situations seen as relatively risky as the syntonic aspects. The emergent value was found to be social-cognitive learning supplemented by reception learning. Most of the interviewees experienced reception learning supplemented by autonomous learning and were caught on one or the other horns of the dilemma. A few interviewees had learned to handle high-risk work from social-cognitive learning supplemented by reception learning and teach or would teach others in a similar fashion. An operationalized form of social-cognitive learning supplemented by reception learning employed in helping persons learn to handle high-risk environmental situations is presented.