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The Meta Model of Language

The document outlines common patterns of language distortions and provides recommended responses to recover more complete meaning. These include: 1. Nominalizations that freeze words in time. 2. Mind-reading and assumptions about internal states. 3. Cause-effect claims made without adequate description of the process. The responses aim to recover deleted details, discover underlying processes, specify mechanisms, and find exceptions rather than generalized claims.

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Kevyn Tan
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353 views

The Meta Model of Language

The document outlines common patterns of language distortions and provides recommended responses to recover more complete meaning. These include: 1. Nominalizations that freeze words in time. 2. Mind-reading and assumptions about internal states. 3. Cause-effect claims made without adequate description of the process. The responses aim to recover deleted details, discover underlying processes, specify mechanisms, and find exceptions rather than generalized claims.

Uploaded by

Kevyn Tan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Meta-Model of Language DISTORTIONS Pattern 1. Nominalizations Process words frozen in time "We lack communication." 2.

Mind-Reading Claiming to know someone's internal state "You have a problem with authority." 3. Cause-Effect "Causation" assumed without adequate description "You make me angry." 4. Complex Equivalence Two experiences interpreted as synonymous "Her frown means she's rejecting me." Response Turn noun back into verb "Who's not communicating?" "How would you like to communicate?" Question source of data. "How do you know . . .?" "What lets you know . . .?" Ask about process. "How does this process work?" "How does what I'm doing cause you to choose to feel angry?" Ask about the equation E.B. = I.S. (External Behavior = Internal State) "How do you equate her frown with feeling rejected?" "Has anyone ever frowned at you that didn't reject you?" Ask about assumptions "What leads you to think that I don't know the importance of school?" "How do you assume this statement holds true for me?" "I don't study efficiently?" Prediction Recovers the process, actions, movements, etc. Recovers source, means Discovers process

Recover the mechanism that explains the cause Recovers the choice Recovers the External Behavior and Internal State Recovers Complex Equivalence Counter Example

5. Presuppositions "If you knew the importance of school, you would study harder."

Recover assumed ideas

GENERALIZATIONS Pattern 6. Universal Quantifiers Universal generalizations such as all, every, never, no one, etc. 7. Modal Operators: a. Modal operators of necessity/desire as in should, shouldn't, must, must not, have to, need to, it is necessary "I have to take care of her." b. Modal operators of possibility/impossibility as in can/can't, will/won't, may/may not, possible/ impossible "I can't tell him the truth." 8. Lost Performative Value judgments apart from originator "It's bad to judge." Response Find Counter Example "All?" "Never?" a. "What would happen if you did?" "What would happen if you didn't?" "Or?" b "What prevents you?" "What would happen if you did?" Seek source of statement "Who says it's bad to judge?" "Says who?' "How do you know?" Gathers evidence Recovers source Prediction Recovers exceptions, causes, details, Counter Examples Recovers mode of operation Recovers causes

DELETIONS Pattern 9. Simple Deletions "I am uncomfortable." 10. Comparative Deletion As in good, better, best, worst, more, less, most, least "She's a better person." 11. Lack of Referential Index Unspecified nouns and verbsfails to specify a person or thing "They don't listen to me." 12. Unspecified Verbs Those verbs where the statement leaves out the person doing the acting or the desired action. "You don't care about me." Response "About what/whom?" "Better than whom?' "Better at what?" "Compare to whom or what?" "Who doesn't listen to you?" Prediction Recovers deletion Recovers Comparative Deletions Recovers the noun or Referential Index

"How specifically do I not care about you?'

Specifies the verb

The Meta-Model Extended Patterns/distinctions 1. Identification (Id.) "He is a democrat." "She is a jerk." 2. Static Words (SW) "Science says that. . ." 3. Over/Under Defined Terms (O/U) "I married him because I thought he would make a good husband." 4. Delusional Verbal Splits (DVS) "My mind has nothing to do with this depression." 5. Either-Or Phrases (E-O) "If I don't make this relationship work, it proves my incompetence." 6. Pseudo-Words (PW) "And that makes him a failure." 7. Multi-Ordinality (M) "What do you think of your self?" Response/challenges How specifically does he identify with the term "democrat?" In what way? Upon what basis do you evaluate her using the term "jerk?" What science specifically? Science according to whose model or theory? Science at what time? What behaviors and responses would make a "good" husband for you? What references do you use for the word "husband?" How can you have "mind" apart from "body" or "body" apart from "mind?" So you have no other alternative except total success or failure? You can't imagine any intermediate steps or stages? What do you mean by "failure" as a word that modifies a person? On what level of abstraction do you refer to "self?" "Self" can have many different meanings, depending on context and usage how do you mean it? How do you know his intentions? How do you know to take these actions in a personal way? How does this story relate to the point you want to make? Predictions/results Recovers the process of identification or prediction. Invites one to create new generalizations. Recovers the deleted details. Recovers the extensional facts about the terms used. Recovers the split that someone has created verbally in language. Recovers the continuum deleted by the Either-Or structure. Challenges a map that uses words that have no real referent. Recovers the level of abstraction that the speaker operates from. Specifies the context and order. Challenges process of personalizing. Recovers the isomorphic relationship between the story and the person's concepts.

8. Personalizing (Per.) "He does that just to irritate me." 9. Metaphors (Mp) "That reminds me of the time when John . . ."

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