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Related Concept Videos

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People tend to know what behavior is expected of them in specific, familiar settings. A script is a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (Schank & Abelson, 1977). Essentially, scripts are a particular kind of schema, one containing default values for the features within an event. In the restaurant example, the script's features include the props (e.g., tables, menu, food, and money), the roles to be played (e.g., customer and waiter),...
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Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
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Making the unconscious conscious: Developing maladaptive scripts into conviction narratives.

Paul Siegel1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Purchase College, State University of New York, Purchase, NY 10577, USA. paul.siegel@purchase.edu https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/671-paul-siegel.

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Psychotherapy helps individuals uncover unconscious "scripts" that shape their lives. By making the unconscious conscious, people can transform these maladaptive patterns into healthier "conviction narratives."

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Narrative Psychology

Background:

  • Psychologist Silvan Tomkins proposed 'script theory,' suggesting unconscious narrative structures organize life experiences.
  • Maladaptive scripts can influence behavior and well-being without conscious awareness.
  • The therapeutic goal of 'making the unconscious conscious' is central to psychodynamic approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To illustrate how psychotherapeutic processes reveal and address unconscious maladaptive scripts.
  • To demonstrate the transformation of 'scripts' into 'conviction narratives' within a clinical context.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a clinical vignette to exemplify the therapeutic process.
  • Focused on the concept of 'making the unconscious conscious' as a key mechanism.
  • Applied principles of script theory and narrative development in psychotherapy.

Main Results:

  • The vignette demonstrates how patients become aware of their underlying, often maladaptive, life scripts.
  • Therapeutic intervention facilitates the conscious development and restructuring of these narratives.
  • This process leads to the formation of more adaptive 'conviction narratives'.

Conclusions:

  • Psychotherapy is effective in uncovering and modifying unconscious scripts.
  • Transforming maladaptive scripts into conviction narratives is a key outcome of successful therapy.
  • This approach highlights the power of narrative in psychological healing and personal growth.