The comfort zone model is based on the belief that when a person is put into a situation which is challenging or stressful they will respond in a positive way on an intrapersonal level i.e. they will grow as individuals. Brown (2008) takes this theory and asks the question: should the model be approached from a metaphorical angle, for discussion after an activity, rather than being used as a model to underpin outdoor/adventure programming.
Another question which arises is whether or not increased learning and personal growth does actually occur in these situations. There are obstacles to this learning process including poor communication. If someone is outside of their comfort zone a common symptom is negative self-talk (Thomas, 2008). Imagine a participant in a canoe on a on a small placid loch - they may perceive that that the water is too rough, thereby they are too concerned by the environmental conditions in order to understand the metaphor and learn from the experience.
A key thing for me, as a facilitator is to recognise that all participants are individual and that differentiation is key if I am to succeed in the industry. As mentioned in my personal philosophy I work closely with "at risk" youths in an adventure setting. I do have the comfort zone model in mind at all times when working but I do often think to myself: What if I get this wrong? What if I push an individual too far into the panic zone? I run the risk of psychologically damaging them in the long term.
As a team at work, we facilitate discussions around comfort zones prior to a high impact activity, such as a gorge walk or an abseil and then revisit the discussion in the review at the end. Having completed the readings for this blog, I think it would be interesting to try running the session without frontloading and then use the comfort zones model in the review as a means of reflection for the young people. Perhaps we should be letting this personal growth occur more naturally – maybe the outcomes will have more intensity through reflection.
Brown, M (2008) ‘Comfort Zone: Model or Metaphor?’ Australian Journal of Outdoor Education 12 (1) 3-12
Thomas, G (2008) Facilitate first thyself: the person-centred dimension of facilitator education The Journal of Experiential Education 31 (2) 168-188
Try to take a more critical stance to your review of the literature. At the moment your writing is very descriptive. Should this really be a model that guides our facilitation? However well done for keeping up with the work.
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