Discursive psychology studies language use to understand psychological themes, such as attitude and memory, through interactions with people. It analyzes nonverbal cues and the relationship between speakers and subjects. It focuses on real-world conversations to reveal how issues are constructed as problems and how individuals hold responsibility. It also analyzes affirmations to reveal action and alternative interpretations, which can be important in fields like criminal justice and law.
Discourse analysis is a way of assessing the use of language and, when this process is used to investigate psychological themes, it is known as discursive psychology (DP). From this perspective, aspects of psychology such as attitude and memory are consciously studied and understood through interactions with people. First created in the 1990s by professors Jonathan Potter and Derek Edwards, it has been a controversial subject, as some of its propositions run counter to those accepted by many modern psychologists.
Discursive psychology assumes that underlying psychological phenomena are not revealed through interaction. These problems exist, however, in terms of interaction. Interaction is inherently socially oriented, so conversations are treated as ways of maneuvering through a social world. Unlike conventional psychology, conversations are not necessarily indicative of an individual’s state of mind at the time.
The actual words spoken by an individual are not the only cues that are analyzed in DP. Intonations in speech, gestures, and other nonverbal cues are all important aspects of speech that are analyzed and interpreted. The relationship between the speaker and the subject of the statement, or the speaker and the listener can also influence speech.
Sometimes, discursive psychology focuses on real-world conversations and language use. Situations may include workplace disputes, interactions during family counseling sessions, or conversations at the dinner table. Family counseling sessions, for example, may focus on how problems or issues within the family are formulated by a particular individual. Through conversation analysis, the phrasing of sentences can reveal how these issues are constructed as problems. An analyst can then gain insight into who he holds responsible for existing problems.
Problems and situations can be constructed very differently by two individuals in a situation. Expressing a sentence in an active tense can show a desire or intent on the part of the speaker. Using the passive tense to describe the same situation can neutralize any implication of desire. Discursive psychology tries to analyze these intentions to build questions that make sense of these situations.
In discursive psychology, affirmations are much more than just a cognitive representation of events. They reveal action and action from the speaker’s point of view. Explanations of events are formulated in such a way as to allow for alternative interpretations, as well as contingencies in interactions. Analyzing statements in terms of agency and attitude can be very important in fields such as criminal justice and law.
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