This thesis examines the phenomenon whereby individuals remain trapped in their own behavioral and mental patterns, even after recognizing them as unhelpful. The thesis's starting premise is that this is not the result of insufficient information or self-awareness, but rather the absence of a structured passage between understanding and actual change. The theoretical part of the thesis addresses this gap by constructing an interdisciplinary framework that draws together philosophy, cognitive psychology, narrative identity theory and the psychology of expressive writing and creativity. From this framework, four psychological conditions for change are derived (curiosity, self-compassion, self-regulation, and self-reflection) which together form the foundational for the design of the practical part of the thesis.
The thesis further analyzes existing comparable practices and artifacts within the self-help market and on the basis of this comparison, identifies that an artifact that combines a low entry barrier, high design quality, and psychological depth all in one.
The practical part of the thesis addresses this gap through the development of Osebna arhitektura (angl. Personal architecture), a guided workbook for self-discovery and conscious change. The workbook is structured around a five-phase model (Observation, Understanding, Design, Experiment, and Integration) in which each phase activates a specific cognitive mechanism and guides the user from raw observation of their own experience toward the conscious, incremental reshaping of behavioral and mental patterns. Methodologically, the thesis situates itself within the framework of Research for design, in which theoretical insight serves the design directly.
The work contributes to an understanding of how design practice, supported by psychological and philosophical theory, can address the gap between self-understanding and change in a way that avoids both clinical pathologization and logic of optimization.
|
