frame of reference and redefining - transactional analysis - manu melwin joy
TRANSCRIPT
Frame of reference and redefiningTransactional Analysis
Prepared By Manu Melwin Joy
Assistant ProfessorIlahia School of Management Studies
Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114
Mail – [email protected]
Kindly restrict the use of slides for personal purpose. Please seek permission to reproduce the same in public forms and presentations.
IntroductionFrame of reference and redefining
Introduction
• I have my way of
perceiving the
world. You have
your way, and it will
be different from
mine.
Introduction
• Suppose you and I
stand outside a
window and look at
the room within. We
report to each other
what we see.
Introduction
• I say : “ It is a fairly
small room. It is
square in shape. There
are people in it. The
carpet is green and the
curtains are brown.
Introduction
• You report: “ It is a family
scene. The whole
atmosphere is warm.
There is a mother, father
and two kids. They are
talking and laughing. It is
a big room, so they have
plenty of space.
Introduction
• Judging by these reports,
a listener may think you
and I were looking at two
completely different
rooms. But the room is
same. It is our perception
of it that is different.
Introduction
• Were we each to report
on what we were hearing,
feeling, smelling or tasting
as we looked into the
room, the chances are
that our reports of these
perceptions would differ
also.
Introduction
• You and I would
respond to that scene
in different ways. I
might feel nothing in
particular, and walk
away after viewing the
room for a few minutes.
Introduction
• You might feel happy,
knock on the window
and open a cover
station with the
people inside.
Introduction
• Thus, you and I differ
in how we perceive
the scene and how we
respond to it. Your
frame of reference is
different from mine.
Frame of reference
Frame of reference
• The frame of reference is
defined by the Schiffs as the
structure of associated
responses which integrates
the various ego states in
response to specific stimuli.
Frame of reference
• It provides the individual
with an overall perceptual,
conceptual, affective and
action set, which is used to
define self, people and the
world.
Frame of reference
• To help explain this
formal definition, the
Schiffs say that the frame
of reference can be
thought of as a filter on
reality.
Frame of reference• As you and I looked at the
room, each of us filtered out
certain parts of the scene.
For instance, I noticed the
color of the carper but
filtered out the identities of
people in the room. You did
the opposite.
Frame of reference
• We also defined the size of
the room differently. To me,
It was fairly small. To you, it
was big. It so happens that I
was brought up in an old
house in the country where
all the rooms had been
large.
Frame of reference
• You spent your childhood in
a city flat where the rooms
were pocket sized. Thus,
the definition of a big room
in our respective frames of
reference is different.
Frame of reference
• You added another
definition. You said: “ The
whole atmosphere is
warm”. I had not defined
atmosphere and had not
even perceived it as part
of the scene.
Frame of reference
• We have each used same
words. But the meaning we
attach to the words are
quite different. The
definition of a warm
atmosphere may differ
between your and mine
frame of reference.
Frame of reference and ego states
Frame of reference and ego states
• As an further aid to
understanding the frame
of reference, the Schiffs
suggest that it can be
thought of as a “skin that
surrounds the ego states
binding them together.
Frame of reference and ego states
• As I perceive the world
according to my unique frame
of reference, I make my own
unique set of ego state
responses to that perceived
world. It is in this way that the
frame of reference integrates
the various ego states.
Frame of reference and ego states
• As you and I looked into the
room, I got into Adult and
made a comment on shapes,
sizes and colors I saw in the
here and now. You were in the
child, replaying happy
memories of family scenes
which you had enjoyed in your
own childhood.
Frame of reference and ego states
• Having made these ego
state shifts internally, we
transacted with each
other externally from the
ego states we had
chosen.
Frame of reference and ego states
• Our frame of reference
gives us the patterns in
which we integrates our
ego state responses so as
to express our overall
personality.
Role of Parent in Frame of reference
Role of Parent in Frame of reference
• The parent ego state plays a
particularly important part
in the formulation of the
frame of reference. This is
because our frame of
reference consists of
definitions of the world, self
and others.
Role of Parent in Frame of reference
• It is our parent and parent
figures that we originally learn
these definitions. Depending
on the age at which we receive
them, they may be filed away
as a part of the content of our
own parent ego state (P2) or of
the parent of the child (P1).
Role of Parent in Frame of reference
• Each of us has a personal
set of parental
definitions of what is
good, bad, wrong, right,
scary, easy, difficult,
dirty, clean, fair, unfair,
and so on.
Role of Parent in Frame of reference
• It is on this set of
definitions that we base
our views of self, others
and the world. We
choose our responses to
situations accordingly.
Frame of reference and the script
Frame of reference and the script
• What is the relationship
between the script and
the frame of reference?
The answer is that the
script forms part of the
frame of reference.
Frame of reference and the script
• The frame of reference in
total is made up of a
large number of
definitions. Some of
these definitions will
entail discounts, while
others will not.
Frame of reference and the script
• The script consists of all
the definitions in the
frame of reference
which entails discounts.
Frame of reference and the script
• When I get into script, I
am ignoring the features
of the here and now
situation which would be
relevant to the solution
of a problem. I am
discounting.
Frame of reference and the script
• In doing so, I am
replaying outdated
definitions of myself,
others and the world
which include these
discounts.
Frame of reference and the script
• For instance, as a child I
may have received
messages from my
parents telling me I was
not able to think.
Frame of reference and the script
• Now suppose that as a
grown up, I am about to
take an examination. If I get
into script at this point, I
begin internally replaying
the old parental definition
of myself that says : “You
cant think”.
Frame of reference and the script
• Agreeing with this in my
child ego state, I accept
the discount of my own
thinking ability. I begin to
feel inadequate and
confused.
Nature and function of redefining
Nature and function of redefining
• When I distort my
perception of reality so
that it fits my script, this
process is called
redefining.
Nature and function of redefining
• In my child ego state as a
grown up, I may cling to
the early decisions
because I am still clinging
to the belief that they
are necessary for my
survival.
Nature and function of redefining
• Thus if some feature of
reality seems to
challenge my script
decisions, I am likely to
defend against it.
Nature and function of redefining
• Putting this idea into
Schiffian language, we
say: “ When my scripty
frame of reference is
threatened, I defend
against the threat by
redefining.”
Nature and function of redefining
• As a child, I accepted my
parent’s definition of me as
unable to think. I make this
script decision because I
believed it was the only
way I had of surviving and
getting my needs met.
Nature and function of redefining
• Now as I get into script
as a grown up, I re – run
this old survival strategy.
I redefine reality by
discounting my own
ability to think.
Nature and function of redefining
• This does not help me solve
the problem, which is to
pass the examination. But
outside my awareness, in my
child ego state, I am
following the motive that
see more important than
any examination could.
Nature and function of redefining
• That is : to defend
against the unspeakable
disaster I fear may
happen if I challenge my
parent’s decision.
Redefining Transactions
Redefining Transactions
• When I redefine, I do so
internally. How will you
know from my outward
behavior whether or not
I am redefining?
Redefining Transactions
• The only external clue is
that you will see or hear
me discounting. Thus the
signals of discounting are
the external manifestations
that redefining is taking
place internally.
Redefining Transactions
Every discount represents a distortion of reality.
Redefining Transactions
• Discounting done by an
individual can be
recognized from various
behavioral clues. These
same clues, then, also
tell you that the person
is redefining.
Redefining Transactions
• We also know someone
is redefining if he shows
grandiosity or a thinking
disorder, which are
typical accompaniment
to discounting.
Redefining Transactions
• There are two distinctive
transactions that give
clear verbal evidence of
redefining. They are the
tangential transactions
and the blocking
transactions.
Tangential Transactions
Tangential Transactions
• A tangential transaction
is one in which the
stimulus and response
address different issues,
or address the same
issue from different
perspectives.
Tangential Transactions
• For example, a therapist
asks a group member:
“How do you feel?”. She
replies: “ Well, when we
spoke about this in the
group yesterday, I felt
angry”.
Tangential Transactions
• With her response, she
addresses the issue of
how she feels, but from
the perspective of
yesterday instead of
today.
Tangential Transactions
• At a wage negotiation, a
union representative
asks: “ What do you want
from out side so we can
conclude this
agreement?”
Tangential Transactions
• The personnel manager
answers: “ We are not at all
satisfied with the
conditions you have
proposed so fare”. Here,
the issue has been shifted
from wanting to feeling
satisfied with.
Tangential Transactions
• Every day conversations
are full of tangential
transactions. When
people are in situations
they perceive as stressful,
they are even more likely
to redefine in this way.
Tangential Transactions
• This is not surprising,
because in stressful
situations, people are
likely to begin perceiving
threats to their frame of
reference.
Tangential Transactions
• The cover purpose of
going on a tangent is to
divert the other person
away from the issue
which constitutes the
threat.
Tangential Transactions
• The person who initiates
the tangential
transactions will not be
consciously aware she is.
doing so.
Tangential Transactions
• Often, the other person
will follow the tangent,
rather than sticking the
original topic. He may
even go off on a further
tangent of his own.
Tangential Transactions
• When people get into a
exchange of tangential
transactions, they are
likely to have an
uncomfortable sense
that their conversation is
getting nowhere.
Tangential Transactions
• When people get into a
exchange of tangential
transactions, they are likely
to have an uncomfortable
sense that their
conversation is getting
nowhere or going around in
circles.
Tangential Transactions
• On the psychological
level, that is exactly what
is intended.
Conversations like these
can go on for a long time.
Tangential Transactions
• The participants may feel
they have been working
hard, and end up feeling
drained. By the close of their
discussion, they may have
never gotten back to the
original issue they have
intended to address.
Blocking Transactions
Blocking Transactions
• In a blocking transaction,
the purpose of raising an
issue is avoided by
disagreeing about the
definition of the issue.
Blocking Transactions
• Example.
– Therapist : How do you
feel.
– Group member : Do you
mean emotionally or
physically?
Blocking Transactions
• Example.
– Union Representative : What
do you want from our side so
we can conclude this
agreement?
– Personnel manager : Are you
talking about what we want
or what we think we can get?
Blocking Transactions
• You will seldom hear long
exchange of blocking
transactions. It is more
likely that after the initial
block, the parties will begin
detailed arguments over
the definition of the issue.
Blocking Transactions
• If one of the people
concerned is a really
determined blocker, the
conversation may come
to a halt in a
dumbfounded silence.
Blocking Transactions
• At the psychological level,
the aim of the blocking
transaction is the same as
that of the tangential: to
avoid addressing issues that
would threaten the frame of
reference of either or both
participants.
Thank You