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Abstract
It is recommended to acknowledge and attribute normalcy to a range of possible reactions to concepts surrounding stages of development, particularly “higher” ones. Neutral, negative, and positive reactions have origins that differ considerably by stage of hierarchical complexity. Reactions of resistance require analysis because resistance is a source of misunderstanding or conflict. Using hierarchical complexity concepts and scoring to analyze these reactions demonstrates that people using postformal thought at stages 11 and 12 may seem to resist the very concepts that explain their complex thought. Analyses indicate resistance is directed at misunderstood or sometimes-conflated elements, rather than developmental concepts themselves.