Philosophical and Theological considerations

Question 1

metatheory

Answer 1

• assumptions that are done before the theory is established or re-evaluated
• two different approaches: nomothetic (scientific method) and idiographic (case study approach)

Question 2

epistemological paradigms

Answer 2

• branch of philosophy focused on the origins, methods of human knowledge
• sets criteria to evaluate particular body of knowledge

Question 3

past in american psychology dominated by logical positivism

Answer 3

• scientific knowledge of the external world can be obtained by the hypothesis-testing laboratory experiments
• help people based on a rationally based manner

Question 4

constructionism

Answer 4

• the reality of any experience is limited to each culture, beliefs, social and linguistic context
• hermeneutic paradigm: qualitative, experimental, and symbolic interpretations

Question 5

postmodernism

Answer 5

• questioned the controlled experiments and reductionist analysis of the positivist paradigm
• narrative therapy
  > based on symbolic interactionism theory and applied in family therapy
  > families come up with stories that they share to make sense of their experiences
  > these stories are the source of functional and dysfunctional behavior
  2 main techniques
• construction of a new narrative story
• externalising the problem outside of the family, creating a common enemy

Question 6

loose theory

Answer 6

• important to rely on a theory, because it gives us a framework for the applications of techniques
• psychodrama is not based in any particular method and theory, heavily relies on improvisation, broad knowledge of tools to heal
• postmodernist approach to healing
• psychodrama works on a general theory, that relies on other sub-theories

Question 7

current approach in psychotherapy

Answer 7

• evidence based practice

- pragmatic integration

Question 8

How does moreno consider the individual?

Answer 8

• relational being
• spontaneity
• creativity

Question 9

Religion

Answer 9

• religious practice may enhance psychological well-being
• through beliefs and religious practice
  > social support
  > alleviation of stress and anxiety (in grief)
• positive association between happiness and having spiritual beliefs

Question 10

Historical phases in relation to immanence and transcendence

Answer 10

• He-God: fully distant and transcendent
• Thou-God: closer and relate to
• I-God: mainly immanent,
  associated to the concept of responsibility to co-exist: interactional and interpenetrating
• awareness of one’s own complexity and uniqueness in relation to creativity
• moreno underestimated the concept of transcendence

Question 11

Encounter

Answer 11

• Buber, humanist

- philosophy: criticised empiricism as the only way to understand reality (first approach: relationality and dialogue

Question 12

Encounter: two basic words

Answer 12

1. “I-thou”
   2- “I-it”
   - they condition two different ways of being in a relation to the other
   - I-it: treats the other person as an object, will be a one way relationship
   - I-thou: give meaning to our lives , and relationships (two way relationship based on encounter and spontaneity)

Question 13

Tele

Answer 13

• interpersonal sensitivity
• coined by moreno, from Greek, “far or distant”
• phenomena that includes: separateness and connectedness, interaction, and mutual empathy
• “simplest unit of feeling transmitted from one individual towards another”
• includes an authentic meeting, inter-personal chemistry
• underlies out real perceptions of others, in here and now
• it is mutual, relates to intuition