Is emotional security (tryghed) important for learning in institutions?

An analysis of psychoeducational groups with Anorexia Nervosa patients

Abstract

In many institutions, learning is an important activity. Scandinavians often claim that you need to be ‘tryg’ (roughly translated as emotionally security) in order to learn, and the Scandinavian term ‘tryghed’ (emotional security) is often used in Scandinavian literature about learning. At the same time, there are surprisingly few definitions of the term. While it is often taken for granted that ‘tryghed’ is essential for learning, there are no studies supporting this relationship directly, nor are there any explanations for, what ‘tryghed’ in institutions actually is, or how tryghed is important for learning. Based on an evaluation of psychoeducational groups for Anorexia Nervosa (AN) patients in Denmark, we show that for these young women, ‘tryghed’ (emotional security) plays a crucial role in learning. In the second part of the article, we examine what tryghed is, based on the statement of AN patients and on psychological literature, and thereby we suggest how tryghed is essential for learning at institutions.