The "Negative Valence"
(Negating the "guilty conscience" for doing wrong, disobeying, sinning.)
Kurt Lewin wrote: "The negative valence of a forbidden object which in itself attracts the child thus usually derives from an induced field of force of an adult. If this field of force loses its psychological existence for the child (e.g., if the adult goes away or loses his authority) the negative valence also disappears." (Kurt Lewin, A Dynamic Theory of Personality: Selected Papers)
In other words, the "guilty conscience" ("the negative valence") is the result of the father's authority, i.e., his chastening of the child ("an induced field of force of an adult") for desiring to relate with or do something ("which in itself attracts the child") which the father declares is wrong ("a forbidden object").
Since there is no father's authority ("field of force of an adult") in a child's opinion, by creating an environment, where the child can dialogue his opinion to a consensus (affirmation) with others, i.e., where all the children can share their feelings and thoughts of the 'moment' with no fear of judgment, condemnation, or reprisal (where the "field of force loses its psychological existence for the child (e.g., if the adult goes away or loses his authority) the "guilty conscience" ("the negative valence") "also disappear," i.e., is negated.
© Institution for Authority Research, Dean Gotcher 2015, 2018