Trap subtext: what a double message Bashny.Net

Sometimes in communication there is confusion between what the interviewee reports literally, what he has in mind actually, and what he wishes to convey. As a result, we may be in a confusing stream of conflicting signals, and trying to adapt to them leads to strange mental shifts. We will focus on the principle of "double address," the abuse which not only destroys relationships, but also, as scientists believe, leads to schizophrenia.





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  The key to understanding the Concept of "double messages" arose in the 1950-ies, when the famous Anglo-American scientist-polymath Gregory Bateson along with his colleagues, psychiatrist Don D. Jackson and psychotherapists John Wickendon and Jay Haley, began to explore the problem of logical distortion in communication.

The reasoning of the Bason was based on the fact that in human communication the correct logical classification of arguments is constantly violated, which leads to misunderstandings. After talking with each other, we use not only the literal meaning of phrases, but also various communicative modes: game, fantasy, ritual, metaphor, humor.

They create contexts, which can be interpreted the message. If both participants of communication interpretiruya the context of the same, they reach an understanding, but very often, unfortunately, this is not happening. In addition, we can skillfully simulate these modal identifiers, expressing a false or insincere friendliness laughing at someone's joke. A person is able to do it unconsciously, hiding himself from the real emotions and motives of their own actions.

Haley noticed that from a healthy person schizophrenic feature including serious problems with the recognition of communicative modalities: he doesn't understand what you mean and other people do not know how to make your own posts that others can understand it. He may not recognize a joke or a metaphor or use them in inappropriate situations — like he doesn't have the key to understanding contexts.

Bateson was the first person to assume that this "key" is lost not because of a single childhood trauma and the process of adaptation to repetitive situations. But what you can adapt this price? The absence of rules of interpretation would be appropriate in a world where communication is devoid of logic — where one loses the connection between the declared and the real situation. So scientist tried to simulate a situation, which, repeating, has been able to shape this perception is what led him to the idea of a "double message."

Here is how one can briefly describe the essence of the concept of double bind: the person receives from the "significant other" (family member, partner, close friend) a double bind on different communicative levels: the words expressed one, and in intonation or non-verbal behavior is another. For example, the words expressing tenderness and non-verbal — rejection at the words — approval, and non-verbal — condemnation, etc. In his article "Toward a theory of schizophrenia" Bateson results in a typical scheme a message like this:

The subject reported a primary negative injunction. It can take one of two forms:

a) "do Not do so-and-so or I will punish you" or

b) "If you don't do so and so, I will punish you"

Simultaneously, a secondary injunction that conflicts with the first. It occurs at a more abstract level of communication: it can be posture, gesture, tone of voice, context of the message. For example: "do not consider it punishment," "don't think of it as I punish you" "do not submit to my prohibitions", "don't think about what you're not supposed to do." Both prescriptions are quite categorical that the addressee was afraid to break them, besides, it is important for him to maintain good relations with partner communications. However, he cannot avoid the paradox, nor clarify which of the requirements is true — because the exposure of the interlocutor in contradiction, as a rule, also leads to conflict ("You don't trust me?", "You think I don't know what I want?", "Are you ready to invent anything, just to annoy me" etc.)

For example, if the mother is experiencing and hostility, and attachment to her son and the end of the day want to relax from his presence, she might say: "Go to sleep, you're tired. I want you asleep." These words outwardly Express concern, but actually mask a different message: "You make me sick, get out of my sight!" If the child correctly understood the subtext, he discovers that the mother does not want him, but for some reason deceives him, feigning love and concern. But detection of this discovery is fraught with the mother's anger ("How dare you accuse me that I don't love you!"). So the child is easier to accept as a fact, that the care of such a strange way than to expose her insincerity.



The impossibility of feedback In single cases, doing many parents, and it does not always lead to serious consequences. But if such situations are repeated too frequently, the child is disoriented — is vital for him to react correctly to the message mom and dad, but he regularly gets two level of message, one of which denies the other. After some time he begins to perceive this situation as a familiar situation and tries to adapt to it. And then with his agile mind something interesting happens. An individual who grew up in such conditions, may eventually completely lose the ability to metacommunicate — the exchange of additional messages about communication. But feedback is the most important part of social interaction, and the potential for many conflicts and nasty bugs we prevent sentences like "What do you mean?", "Why did you do that?", "Did I hear you right?".

The loss of this ability leads to a complete mess in communication. "If a man says: "What would you like to do today?", he cannot properly determine the context, tone of voice and gestures: whether he blamed for what he did yesterday, whether it receives sexy... And anyway, what do you mean?" — gives an example of Bateson.

To somehow clarify the reality of the environment, a chronic victim of double messages usually resorts to one of the three basic strategies, which are manifested as schizophrenic symptoms. The first is the literal interpretation of all that is said of others, when a person refuses to attempt to understand the context and considering all metacommunicative messages as unworthy of attention.

The second option is just the opposite: the patient gets used to ignore the literal meaning of the messages and looking for hidden meaning, short in his quest to the point of absurdity. And finally, a third possibility — escapism: you can try to completely get rid of communication to avoid related problems.

But those who are lucky enough to grow up in families where it is accepted to Express their wishes very clearly and definitely, is not immune from double messages in adult life. Unfortunately, it is common practice in communication in the first place, because people often there are contradictions between ideas about what they should feel/ how they should behave and what they do or really feel. For example, a person believes that in order to "be good", it should be another warm emotions, which is not really feels, but is afraid to admit it. Or, on the contrary, he has the unwanted affection, he considers it a duty to suppress and which appears on the non-verbal level.

Nominal transmitting a message that is contrary to the real situation, the speaker is faced with an undesirable reaction of the recipient, and may not always contain his irritation. The recipient, in turn, is not less stupid — like he acted in full accordance with the expectations of the partner, but instead of approval he is punished for what is not clear.



The path to power and enlightenment Their idea of what a double message causes schizophrenia, Bateson did not support serious statistical research: it is the evidence base was based mainly on analysis of written and verbal reports of psychotherapists, the sound recording of psychotherapeutic interviews and the testimony of the parents of patients of schizophrenia. Unequivocal confirmation of this theory has received so far — according to contemporary scientific notions, schizophrenia can be caused by a combination of factors starting from heredity and ending with problems in the family.

But the concept of Bateson became not only an alternative theory of the origin of schizophrenia, but has also helped therapists better understand the inner conflicts of patients and also gave impetus to the development of NLP. However, in NLP the "double message" is interpreted a little differently: the source is the illusory choice of two options, both of which are beneficial to the speaker. A classic example, migrated to the Arsenal of the sales staff — "will You pay cash or credit?" (that the visitor may not make a purchase, and not talking).

However, Bateson himself believed that the double bind can be not only a means of manipulation, but it is a healthy incentive to development. As an example, he cited the Buddhist koans: the Zen master often put students in a paradoxical situation, to trigger the transition to a new stage of perception and enlightenment. Unlike a good student from a potential schizophrenic is the ability to solve problem creatively and to see not only the two conflicting options, but the "third way". This helps the lack of emotional bonds with the source of the paradox: it is the emotional dependence on loved ones often prevents us to rise above the situation and avoid the trap of double messages. published

 

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Source: theoryandpractice.ru/posts/8347-double-bind