September 3, 2016
Written by Maximus Peperkamp, M.S. Verbal Engineer
Dear Reader,
This is my seventh response to “Verbal
behavior in clinical context: behavior analysis methodological contributions”
by Zamignani and Meyer (2007). Identification of “functional response classes” during
our interaction is made impossible due
to the different status of the speaker and the listener, which causes Noxious
Verbal Behavior (NVB).
The conversation between the therapist and
the client is unique in that its objective is to create and maintain Sound
Verbal Behavior (SVB), which is also described as therapeutic alliance. Another
way of viewing SVB and NVB is by recognizing that the speaker and the listener
are always separated during NVB, but are experienced as one during SVB.
NVB is a function of the extent to which
the speaker is different from the listener, but SVB is a function of the extent
to which the speaker is equal to the
listener. Russell and Stiles (1979)
wrote about the two research strategies in psychotherapy: “the pragmatic and the classic – by means of which social interaction data could be
categorized.”
The pragmatic
strategy seems to refer to SVB as it “consisted in the direct inference of the observer about states
or characteristics of the speaker (or in the case of the behavior analysis,
direct inference of functional relations)” (italics added). This also refers
to the listener who speaks and “could allow the study of quite subtle events of
interaction,” which “would imply in a great degree of inference.”
The classic research strategy, on the other
hand, fits with NVB as “the interpretation about the functional relations would
not be done in the moment of
register, but afterwards, from the systemization of categorized data which
would allow the identification of patterns in the studied interaction.” In NVB
the listener is not supposed to discuss the speaker’s dominance. Hierarchical
differences remain in place as they are unaddressed as the inferior listener is
not allowed to speak.
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