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      Comfort zone: Model or metaphor?

      Brown, Mike
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      Brown Comfort Zone.pdf
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       www.outdoorcouncil.asn.au
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      Brown, M. (2008). Comfort zone: Model or metaphor? Australian Journal of Outdoor Education 12(1), 3-12.
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/992
      Abstract
      The comfort zone model is widespread within adventure education literature. It is based on the belief that when placed in a stressful situation people will respond by overcoming their fear and therefore grow as individuals. This model is often

      presented to participants prior to activities with a highly perceived sense of risk and challenge which arouses strong emotional and physical responses to novel tasks (e.g., ropes courses or rock climbing activities). Students are encouraged to think about

      ‘stretching themselves’ by moving outside their comfort zone, to expand their preconceived limits and by inference learn (and become better people). This paper explores theories from cognitive and social psychology, based on the work of Piaget

      and Festinger respectively, that underpin the comfort zone model. The perpetuation of this model which uses risk to promote situations of disequilibrium/dissonance does not find strong support in educational literature. It is therefore suggested that the comfort zone model be reframed as a metaphor, for possible discussion post activity, rather than being used as a model to

      underpin programming and pedagogy in adventure education settings.
      Date
      2008
      Type
      Journal Article
      Publisher
      Australian Outdoor Education Council
      Rights
      This article is published in the Australian Journal of Outdoor Education. Used with permission.
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      • Education Papers [1408]
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