<[Bill Leach 950601.06:36 U.S. Eastern Time Zone]
NET
Some may already know that I have for quite a number of years now been a
rather avid reader and listener to the "pop-psychology" and
"motivational" crowd.
I am (still) particularly fond of the late Earl Nightingale and of Dale
Carnegie.
A friend loaned me some tapes from a subscription called Insite to listen
to recently (a program in which I had a subscription at one time).
It is truly fascinating to notice the "self-talk" that runs in the
background (and often in the foreground) while listening to these
speakers NOW as a result of attempting to understand PCT and learn to
analyze behavioural ideas based upon PCT principles.
This morning one of the tapes contained (among others) a presentation by
a (aledgedly) renowned Child Psychologist, Peter J. Favaro. Some of what
he had to say was clearly "good PCT" but even more clear was the idea
that this doctor has almost no concept of control.
I was nearly 'driven' to screem as I listened to this guy 'tell parents'
NOT to ask their children questions when the parents believe that the
child has "misbehaved". This was followed with a very plausible
explaination of the potential effects of _negative reinforcers_ and the
assertion that questioning only leads to (interpersonal) conflict! Gads,
if I had this guy's address I would have sent him MY copy of Discipline
for Home and School! [I would send a copy of B:CP except that 1) I can't
afford to do so and 2) I seriously doubt that the guy read it and 3) even
if he read it... the disturbance would be too great.]
It is even interesting to me (and I will try in the future to take some
time to make specific notes - would be a good exercise for me if
critiqued on the net) how so much of the pop-psych stuff _is_ good but
not at all for the reasons usually given. It seems that the less of a
formal training experience in psychology that these people have the more
PCT sounding will be their explainations.
-bill