A MANUAL FOR THE
A note on Implicative Dilemmas (2; G. Feixas & L. A. Saul, 2000)
What is an Implicative Dilemma?
An implicative dilemma is
present when the symptom is associated with positive aspects that in many cases
have to do with characteristics which define the client's own identity. The
abandonment of these aspects would represent a threat for the self.
In these situations, the patient
faces a conflict because he wishes to abandon the symptoms and all its negative
effects; but, on the other hand, these symptoms are associated with positive
definitions of the self. Therefore, to abandon the symptomatic pole would involve
the client construing herself/himself in terms of opposed and undesirable poles
of other, more nuclear, constructs.
Components of the Implicative
Dilemma (Feixas, Saul & Sanchez, 1999)
- A construct is congruent when the SELF and the IDEAL SELF elements
are in the same pole; it is discrepant if they are on opposed poles.
- The present pole of the discrepant construct is where the SELF lies;
the desired pole, where the person would prefer it to be. This construct
may be designed (or provided) in order to capture the person's problem or
symptom (i. e., "STUTTERER / NOT STUTTERER", "FAT / NORMAL").
- The congruent pole of the congruent construct is where the SELF and
IDEAL SELF are; obviously, this renders the opposite pole undesirable for
the person. It may be necessary to "ladder up" to get at this construct,
which should embody an important superordinate dimension.
- An implicative dilemma appears when the congruent pole and
the present pole have a Pearson's correlation of at least 0.20. Consequently,
the desired and undesirable pole are correlated too.
- Each time the person attempts to alleviate his problem switching himself
from the present pole to the desired one of the discrepant
construct, he also falls under the undesirable pole of the congruent
one, threatening an essential part of his identity.
Here
is an example of an implicative dilemma.
