The processes that enable us to accomplish The Freedom Functions are Human Processing or Thinking Skills. Historically, Human Processing includes the following processing systems (See Figure 1):

• S–R Conditioned Responding
• S–O–R Discriminative Learning
• S–P–R Generative Processing
• S–OP–R Organizational Processing
• S–MP–R Marketplace Processing

Together, these processing systems define Human Processing.

Figure 1. Levels of Human Processing (2000–2007)

As may be viewed in Figure 1, in both 2000 and 2007, Americans function at the S–O–R Discriminative Learning Level. S–O–R means that the human organism (O) discriminates the stimulus conditions (S) and emits the appropriate response (R).

For our purposes, S–O–R Learning is more popularly known as “Systems Thinking:” stimulus inputs (S) are transformed into results outputs (R) by discriminative processing systems (O).

Systems Thinking is the basis for developing two-dimensional matrices and multidimensional (and often parallel) branching systems.

The plateaued American performance of S–O–R discriminative learning is overwhelmingly a reflection of “The Binary Function” or BF.

The BF is the source of all Information Technology or IT Systems which dominate the world marketplace. BF has had the effect of reinforcing the distribution of “I” or “O” processing to the world at-large.

Consequently, America has abandoned its search for S–P–R Generative Thinking Systems or “thinking beyond the high beams.”

In so doing, America has undermined its own Generative-Innovative leadership in the world marketplace. By following the IT–BF requirements, America now ranks “back-in-the-pack” with the “Innovative-Commercializers.”