STS.441 Technology and Self: Technology and Conversation, Spring 2014 Theodora Vardouli (thvard@mit.

edu)

WEEK 2 How to Think About Conversation

SELECTION I:

The first conversational fragment is from Everett Shostroms 1965 film Three Approaches to Psychotherapy (TAP). In this series a young woman named Gloria volunteered to participate in 30 minute sessions with three psychotherapists employing different methods: Carl Rogers (clientcentered therapy), Albert Ellis (rational-emotive behavior therapy), and Fritz Perls (gestalt therapy). The excerpt below is a transcription from Glorias session with Fritz Perls. The session begins with Gloria remarking that she feels afraid of Fritz Perls and wants to go sit in a corner for protection. This is the conversation that follows: Gloria: This reminds me of when I was a little girl, every time I was afraid Id feel better sitting in the corner. FP: Are you a little girl? G: This feeling reminds me of it FP: Are you a little girl? G: No! No, no. FP: No, at last. How old are you? G: Thirty. FP: Then youre not a little girl? G: No. FP: Okay So, youre a 30-year-old girl, whos afraid of a guy like me. G: I dont even know if, well, yeah, I do know I do know Ill be afraid of you. Ill, I get real defensive with you! FP: Now, what can I do to you? G: You cant do anything, but I sure can feel dumb. And I can feel stupid for not having the right answers. FP: Now, what would it do to you to be if you are dumb and stupid? G: I hate it when Im stupid. FP: What would it do for you to be dumb and stupid let me put it like this: What would it do to me if you would play dumb and stupid? G: That makes you all the smarter and all the higher above me, then I really have to look up to you cause youre so smart, yeah.

STS.441 Technology and Self: Technology and Conversation, Spring 2014 Theodora Vardouli (thvard@mit.edu)

FP: Ah yeah. And butter me up right it left. G: No I think you can do that all by yourself. FP: Ah I think the other way around. If you play dumb and stupid, you force me to be more explicit. G: Thats been said to me before, but I dont buy it I dont really. FP: (Now, what) are you doing with your feet now? G: Wiggling them (starts giggling). FP: You joke now. G: No! Im afraid youre going to notice everything that I do! Gee! I dont FP: Do you want me G: Yeah, ah, I want you to help me feel more relaxed, yes, I dont want to feel so defensive with you. I dont like to feel so defensive. Youre acting like youre treating me as if Im stronger than I am and I want you to protect me more, and be nicer to me. FP: Are you aware of your smile? You dont believe a word you are saying G: Hah! I do too, but I know youre going to pick on me! FP: Sure, youre bluff youre a phony. G: Do you believe are you meaning that seriously? FP: Yeah. If you say you are afraid and you laugh and you giggle and you squirm its phony. You put in a performance for me.
SELECTION II:

The second fragment is a selection of a comment thread accompanying the full video of Glorias session with Fritz Perls on Youtube. The indented text corresponds to replies on a comment by the viewer Andre Jacobs.

Andre Jacobs

I don't like this guy. He is interrupting the flow all the time by accentuating physical movements instead of trying to hear what she is saying. He is trying to force his perception and understanding on her.
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eatcarpet 1 month ago

You're pretty much reacting the same way Gloria did. All he did was ask her "what she

STS.441 Technology and Self: Technology and Conversation, Spring 2014 Theodora Vardouli (thvard@mit.edu)

was doing". He was not making any interpretations. He was only trying to point out the discrepancy between her words and her actions.
Reply

Andre' Jacobs 1 month ago

What was his point? At one point she asked him why he kept focusing her attention on her movements, when she was wiggling her foot, and then he became defensive when she reacted to him doing that. He also said at one point that she was reacting to the Fritz in her head, and not him. Which is utter hogwash. He is ignoring that his actions also have an influence on her and for her, or anyone else for that matter, including himself, there IS no other Fritz other than the one in his and her head.If he is pointing out a discrepancy, then he WAS interpreting. Thanks. You just made me realize this guy is an idiot.
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eatcarpet 1 month ago

He wasn't making any point other than that he was making her aware of what she was actually doing right in that moment. He said that she was reacting to the Fritz in her imagination because she misinterpreted what he said. He never said "Explain what you're doing", yet she thought that she had to explain what she was doing. All he said was "What are you doing with your feet now?". He never told her to explain it. You still don't get it and you're reacting to the same way Gloria did. It's the Fritz in in your imagination.
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Andre' Jacobs 1 month ago

Why would he do that? What is the point of doing that?

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eatcarpet 1 month ago

The whole point of Gestalt therapy is to make the person aware of what he/she is doing, so that he/she can solve the problem for him/herself.
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Andre Jacobs 1 month ago

I seriously doubt that her shaking her foot is a problem.

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