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DISCOUNTING in transactional analysis PPT
DISCOUNTING
JACQUI SCHIFF
 Discount involves people minimising or ignoring some aspects of
themselves, others,or the reality situation.
IMPORTANCE-IT IS WITHOUT ADULT AWARENESS
DISCOUNTING TA TODAY
IAN STUART AND VAN JOINS
Unwarely ignoring information relevant to the solution of a problem
Every discount is accompanied with Grandiosity
DETECTING DISCOUNTS
 The discounting, not observable in itself, can
be inferred by the persons showing any of
the four passive behavior.
 1.Doing nothing
 2.Over adaptation
 3.Agitation
 4.Incapacitation/violence
Detecting discounts
 Driver behavior always indicates
a discount.
 Remember that when I show a
driver, I am internally replaying
the script belief :  I am only OK if
I try hard / please others etc.
 The reality is that I am OK
whether or not I follow these
driver messages.
Detecting discounts
 Schiff specify certain thinking
disorders as clues to
discounting.
 One of these is over detailing.
 Asked a simple question , the
person showing this disorder
will reply with a long tirade of
minute details.
Detecting discounts
 Over generalization is the opposite of
over detailing in which the person
expresses ideas only in sweeping,
global terms.
 Ex : Well, my problem is something
huge. People are after me. Things are
getting me down.
Verbal Clues
 One of the skills of TA is to
identify discounting by
listening to the words people
use.
 The difficulty in practice is
that everyday speech is full of
discounts, so much so that we
become desensitized to them.
 We need to re learn the skill
of listening to what is really
being said and testing each
statement against reality.
Verbal Clues
 When someone says  I
cant.., he will most often be
discounting.
 I will try to is usually a
discount, since what it implies
is usually  I will try to, but I
wont do it.
 The same is true will all driver
wordings. Be strong discounts
are particularly common. Ex:
What you say is boring to
me.
Verbal Clues
 Sometimes, a discount is
signaled by leaving out a part
of the sentence.
 For instance, a member of the
TA group may ask I want a
hug.
 She doesnt say from whom
she wants hug from.
 She is omitting information
relevant to the solution of the
problem.
Non verbal Clues
 Equally important is the skill
of identifying discounts
from non verbal clues.
 A mismatch between the
words being said and the
non verbal signals that go
with them.
 This mismatching is called
incongruity.
Gallows
 One frequent indication of a
discount is gallows laughing.
 Here, the person laughs when
making a statement about
something unpleasant.
 Ex: That was silly of me, ha
ha.
 In gallows, there is incongruity
between the laugh and the
painful content.
Gallows
 When someone gives a gallows
laugh, he is making a non
verbal invitation to the listener
to reinforce once of his script
belief.
 The straight response to
gallows is to refuse to join in
the laughing.
 You may also say : That is not
funny, if you are in a situation
where it is socially appropriate
to do so.
Stroke Filter / Discount
 When someone gets a stroke that
doesnt fit in with her preferred
stroke quotient, she is likely to
ignore it or belittle it.
 Discounts are an internal
mechanism by which people
minimize or maximize
(grandiosity) an aspect of reality,
themselves or others.
 In other words they are not
accounting for the reality of
themselves or others or the
situation.
Strokes Vs Discounts
 A discount always entails some distortion of reality unlike a straight negative
stroke.
 You spelled the word wrong.
 Discount  I see you cant spell
 I hate you.
 Discount  You are hateful.
 Unlike a straight negative stroke, a discount gives me no signal on which I
can base constructive action.
Discount Matrix
 Discounting results in unresolved
problems.
 Thus, if we can devise a systematic
way of identifying the nature and
intensity of discounting, we will have
a powerful tool for problem solving.
 Such a tool is called discount matrix.
Discount Matrix
 Discount matrix was developed by
Ken Mellor and Eric Sigmund.
 The discount matrix starts from the
idea that we classify discounts
according to three different criteria.
 Area.
 Type.
 Level.
Discount Matrix
 Discount matrix has
three columns for the
three types of discount
and four rows for the
four modes or levels.
 The wordings in each of
the resulting twelve
boxes indicates the
combination of type
and level.
Areas of discounting
 There are three areas in
which people can discount:
 Self.
 Others.
 Situation.
Areas of discounting
 In the example, When I
was sitting in the
restaurant droopping
because the waiter wasnt
bringing my glass of
water, I was discounting
myself.
 I was ignoring my own
ability to take action to
get what I wanted.
Areas of discounting
 My friend who got angry
and started criticizing the
waiter, was discounting
not himself but the other
person.
 In judging the waiter
incompetent, he was
blanking out any aspects
of the waiters actions
that might have
contradicted his criticism.
Areas of discounting
 Suppose that after
drooping for a while, I did
turned to my friend and
said:  Well, there we are.
It really isnt fair that
these other people are
getting served and I am
not. But then, this world
is an unfair place, isnt
it?
 Here, I did have been
discounting the situation.
Discount Matrix
Types of discounting
 The three types of
discounting are of:
 Stimuli.
 Problems.
 Options.
Levels of discounting
 The four levels of
discounting are:
 Existence.
 Significance.
 Change
possibilities.
 Personal abilities
Discounting - Stimulus
 To discount a stimulus is
to blank out perception
that something is
happening at all.
.
Discounting - Stimulus
 I would have been
discounting the stimulus of
my own thirst.
Discounting - Problem
 The person who discounts a
problem realizes that
something is happening, but
ignores the fact that
whatever is happening
poses a problem.
Discounting - Options
 When discounting options,
the person is aware that
something is happening and
that it constitutes a problem.
 But she blanks out the
possibility that anything can
be done about the problem.
Discounting - Options
 As I sat drooping, I knew
that I felt thirsty.
 I was aware that my
thirst was a problem to
me.
 But I was unawarely
ignoring the many
options I had, other
than just sitting and
hoping the waiter to
respond.
Discount Matrix
Discounting- Existence
 In the example, I was
discounting the
existence of my own
options to solve the
problem.
Discounting- Significance
 If I had been discounting the
significance of my options, I
might have said to my friend:
 I suppose I could go over
and ask him.
 But I bet asking him wouldnt
make a difference.
 Here, I did have realized
there was something
different I could do, but
blanked out the possibility
that his action could have any
effect.
Discounting- Change possibilities
In this case, I would have
let myself realize that the
option existed and that it
might have results, while
ignoring the possibility that
anyone could actually put
the option into practice.
Discounting- Personal Abilities
 Here I am aware the
options exists and could
bring results.
 I realize that some
people in the world
might well use that
option.
 But I dismiss my own
ability to do so.
Discounting Matrix
 Discounting matrix is
compiled by listing all the
possible combinations of
types and levels of discount.
 When we do so, we will get
the discounting matrix
diagram.
DISCOUNTING in transactional analysis PPT
Discounting Matrix - Example
 Suppose two friends are talking.
One of them is a heavy smoker.
 As he lights up yet another
cigarette, he is convulsed by a
bout of coughing.
 His friend says to him :  Thats
is a terrible cough. I am
concerned about you. Please
give up smoking.
 What might be the smokers
reply if he were discounting in
each of the twelve different
boxes on the matrix?
Discounting existence of stimuli
If the smoker were
discounting the
existence of the stimuli,
he might reply: What
cough? I was not
coughing?
Discounting existence of problem
If the smoker were
discounting the existence of
the problem, he might say: 
Oh, no, I am fine, thanks. I
have always had a cough. He
is letting himself be aware of
his cough, but blotting out
the possibility that this may
constitute a problem to him.
Discounting significance of stimuli
 In discounting the
existence of the problem,
he is also discounting the
significance of the
stimulus.
 In discounting the
possibility that his cough
may be a problem, he is
also discounting the fact
that the cough may have
some meaning
(Significance) for him.
Diagonal arrows
 This is indicated on the
matrix diagram by the
diagonal arrow connecting
the boxes for existence of
problems and Significance
of stimuli.
 The arrow means that one
of these discounts will
always entail the other.
Diagonal Arrows and T numbers
 All the diagonal arrows on
the diagram has this
meaning.
 The T numbers, entered
at the top left of each box,
are labels for the different
diagonals.
 For instance, discounts of
the existence of the
problem and the
significance of the stimuli
corresponds to diagonal T2.
Discounting existence of options
When we take T3, smoker
is discounting the existence
of options. He might show
this by replying  Well, yes,
but we smokers do cough,
you know?. A short lie and
a happy one, that what I
say, ha, ha.
Discounting existence of options
Now he is admitting that he
has a cough and that the
cough may well indicate a
problem, namely that
smoking can kill people.
But he is blanking out the
possibility that anyone can
do anything to avoid
smokers cough.
Discounting significance of the problem
In doing so, he also blanks
out any perception that the
possibility of being killed by
smoking is something he
might be concerned about.
He discounts the
significance of the problem.
Discounting changeability of stimulus
And by his denial that
anything can possibly be
done by anyone to get rid
of a smokers cough, he
discounts the changeability
of the stimulus.
Discounting significance of options
 The same equivalence of
discounts applies along the
other diagonals.
 On T4, the smoker might say:
Well, yes, I suppose I should
give up really. But I have been
smoking for so long, I dont
think my giving up now is
going to make any difference.
Discounting viability of options and persons ability to act on options
 On T5, he might respond:
 Sure, you are right. I
need to give up, But I
cant figure out how to do
it.
 And on T6, the smoker
might say: Yes, I have
been telling myself for
ages I should throw my
cigarettes and lighter
away. But I just cant seem
to get round to it.
Discounting matrix
Another feature of this matrix is that a
discounting in any box also entails discounts in
the boxes below and to its right.
Discounting - Sequence
Suppose a person is
discounting the existence of a
problem. Since he is not
allowing himself to be aware
that the problem even exists,
he is obviously also going to
blank out any perception that
the problem may be
significant.
Discounting - Sequence
 Nor will he be thinking whether
he or anyone else can solve the
problem. He is thus discounting
in the entire column of boxes
related to problems.
 And since he is ignoring the
existence of the problem, why
should he consider whether
there are options for solving it?
 Because he thus discounts the
existence of options, he will also
discount all the other boxes in
the options column.
Discounting - Sequence
 Finally, recall that a discount
of the existence of problem is
equivalent to discounting the
significance of stimuli, along
diagonal T2.
 Therefore, the other two
boxes below it in the stimuli
column will be discounted
also.
Discounting matrix
A person discounting on any diagonal will be
discounting in all the boxes below and to the
right of that diagonal.
Activity
 Make up the discount
matrix for this example.
 Wife and husband have
just settled down in bed
for the night.
 Then, in the next room,
their baby starts crying.
 The husband says Do
you think one of us
should go and see why
the baby is crying?
Levels of Discounting
 The EXISTENCE of a problem, e.g. a baby cries and the parents go to sleep.
 The SIGNIFICANCE of a problem Oh the baby always cries at this time.
 The CHANGE POSSIBILITIES The baby will never be satisfied.
 The PERSONAL ABILITY to actually carry out the change You could but I
cant change the nappy.
At each level the discount can be of three types:
 The STIMULUS can be discounted.
 The PROBLEM can be discounted.
 The OPTIONS can be discounted.
Activity
 Work out the responses
his wife might give if she
were discounting on
each of the diagonals in
the discounting matrix.
 Confirm that the
hierarchy of discounts
applies.
Using the Discount Matrix
 Whenever a problem is not
being solved, some
information relevant to the
solution of that problem is
being ignored.
 The discount matrix gives us
a systematic way to
pinpointing what
information is being missed.
 This in turn provides
guidance to the specific
actions we need to take to
solve the problem.
Using the Discount Matrix
When a problem
remains unsolved
despite efforts to solve
it, this is often because
the person is addressing
the problem on too low
a diagonal of the
discount matrix.
Using the Discount Matrix
It follows that in using
the matrix as a problem
solving tool, we need to
begin by looking for
discounts on the highest
diagonal first.
Using the Discount Matrix
 We step into the matrix at
the top left corner.
 If we discover a discount
there, we need to deal with
that discount before going
any further downward or to
the right.
 Because if we miss that
initial discount and try to
deal with a discount on any
lower diagonal, our
intervention will itself be
discounted.
Example
 If you were the friend of a
smoker and seeing him
cough, you say  I am
concerned about you.
Please give up smoking.
 With your intervention, you
have addressed the problem
on the lowest diagonal of
the box.
 The issue is whether the
smoker is going to act on a
specific option.
Example
 But suppose the smoker is
discounting much higher on the
matrix?
 For example, he may be diagonal
T2, discounting the significance of
stimulus and existence of the
problem.
 It is obvious that he will also
discount any relevance in what
you have just said to him.
 Why should he have any
investment is stopping smoking,
when as far as he is aware, his
smokers cough is not a problem.
Example
Suppose now you wanted
to help your smoking
friend by systematically
using the discount matrix,
you would begin by
checking for a discount on
diagonal T1. Are you
aware that you have got a
really bad cough?
Example
 If he confirms that he is
aware of the cough, you
would go down to the next
diagonal.
 You might ask  Is that
cough of yours something
you bother about?
 Were he to reply No, Not
really, it is something I just
take for granted.
 Now you have located that
his discount is on T2.
Example
 This lets you know that if
your smoker friend is to
give up his habit, he first
needs to become aware
that his cough may indicate
a problem
 He needs to realize too
that his problem may be a
cause of his concern.
Example
 When he were to check
through the discount matrix,
the real problem may be
different.
 While lecturing, he mumbles.
The students cant hear what
he is saying.
 The discount is on diagonal
T2 of the matrix.
 To address the problem, the
lecturer simply needs to
speak up.
Application
 The discount matrix was
originally developed for
use in psychotherapy.
 But it provides an equally
effective tool for problem
solving in organization
and education.
Activity
 When you have identified the
discount, consider its ego
state source.
 Did it come from
contamination? An exclusion?
Or were you uninformed or
misinformed?
 Let yourself be aware of
whatever part of reality you
had previously been
discounting.
 If you need accurate or new
information, get it.
Example
 A college teacher takes a
class and asks student
some questions to check
their understanding.
 To his surprise, the
students can answer
hardly any.
 He told himself These
students are not working.
Why they dont have any
motivation?
Example
 By assuming that the
students have not been
working, he is addressing
a discount in the area of
others on diagonal T5 or
T6 of the discount matrix.
 He has assumed that
students knew they have
to work but they either
dont feel they can handle
the work or just arent
getting started?
Thank
you

More Related Content

DISCOUNTING in transactional analysis PPT

  • 2. DISCOUNTING JACQUI SCHIFF Discount involves people minimising or ignoring some aspects of themselves, others,or the reality situation. IMPORTANCE-IT IS WITHOUT ADULT AWARENESS
  • 3. DISCOUNTING TA TODAY IAN STUART AND VAN JOINS Unwarely ignoring information relevant to the solution of a problem Every discount is accompanied with Grandiosity
  • 4. DETECTING DISCOUNTS The discounting, not observable in itself, can be inferred by the persons showing any of the four passive behavior. 1.Doing nothing 2.Over adaptation 3.Agitation 4.Incapacitation/violence
  • 5. Detecting discounts Driver behavior always indicates a discount. Remember that when I show a driver, I am internally replaying the script belief : I am only OK if I try hard / please others etc. The reality is that I am OK whether or not I follow these driver messages.
  • 6. Detecting discounts Schiff specify certain thinking disorders as clues to discounting. One of these is over detailing. Asked a simple question , the person showing this disorder will reply with a long tirade of minute details.
  • 7. Detecting discounts Over generalization is the opposite of over detailing in which the person expresses ideas only in sweeping, global terms. Ex : Well, my problem is something huge. People are after me. Things are getting me down.
  • 8. Verbal Clues One of the skills of TA is to identify discounting by listening to the words people use. The difficulty in practice is that everyday speech is full of discounts, so much so that we become desensitized to them. We need to re learn the skill of listening to what is really being said and testing each statement against reality.
  • 9. Verbal Clues When someone says I cant.., he will most often be discounting. I will try to is usually a discount, since what it implies is usually I will try to, but I wont do it. The same is true will all driver wordings. Be strong discounts are particularly common. Ex: What you say is boring to me.
  • 10. Verbal Clues Sometimes, a discount is signaled by leaving out a part of the sentence. For instance, a member of the TA group may ask I want a hug. She doesnt say from whom she wants hug from. She is omitting information relevant to the solution of the problem.
  • 11. Non verbal Clues Equally important is the skill of identifying discounts from non verbal clues. A mismatch between the words being said and the non verbal signals that go with them. This mismatching is called incongruity.
  • 12. Gallows One frequent indication of a discount is gallows laughing. Here, the person laughs when making a statement about something unpleasant. Ex: That was silly of me, ha ha. In gallows, there is incongruity between the laugh and the painful content.
  • 13. Gallows When someone gives a gallows laugh, he is making a non verbal invitation to the listener to reinforce once of his script belief. The straight response to gallows is to refuse to join in the laughing. You may also say : That is not funny, if you are in a situation where it is socially appropriate to do so.
  • 14. Stroke Filter / Discount When someone gets a stroke that doesnt fit in with her preferred stroke quotient, she is likely to ignore it or belittle it. Discounts are an internal mechanism by which people minimize or maximize (grandiosity) an aspect of reality, themselves or others. In other words they are not accounting for the reality of themselves or others or the situation.
  • 15. Strokes Vs Discounts A discount always entails some distortion of reality unlike a straight negative stroke. You spelled the word wrong. Discount I see you cant spell I hate you. Discount You are hateful. Unlike a straight negative stroke, a discount gives me no signal on which I can base constructive action.
  • 16. Discount Matrix Discounting results in unresolved problems. Thus, if we can devise a systematic way of identifying the nature and intensity of discounting, we will have a powerful tool for problem solving. Such a tool is called discount matrix.
  • 17. Discount Matrix Discount matrix was developed by Ken Mellor and Eric Sigmund. The discount matrix starts from the idea that we classify discounts according to three different criteria. Area. Type. Level.
  • 18. Discount Matrix Discount matrix has three columns for the three types of discount and four rows for the four modes or levels. The wordings in each of the resulting twelve boxes indicates the combination of type and level.
  • 19. Areas of discounting There are three areas in which people can discount: Self. Others. Situation.
  • 20. Areas of discounting In the example, When I was sitting in the restaurant droopping because the waiter wasnt bringing my glass of water, I was discounting myself. I was ignoring my own ability to take action to get what I wanted.
  • 21. Areas of discounting My friend who got angry and started criticizing the waiter, was discounting not himself but the other person. In judging the waiter incompetent, he was blanking out any aspects of the waiters actions that might have contradicted his criticism.
  • 22. Areas of discounting Suppose that after drooping for a while, I did turned to my friend and said: Well, there we are. It really isnt fair that these other people are getting served and I am not. But then, this world is an unfair place, isnt it? Here, I did have been discounting the situation.
  • 24. Types of discounting The three types of discounting are of: Stimuli. Problems. Options.
  • 25. Levels of discounting The four levels of discounting are: Existence. Significance. Change possibilities. Personal abilities
  • 26. Discounting - Stimulus To discount a stimulus is to blank out perception that something is happening at all. .
  • 27. Discounting - Stimulus I would have been discounting the stimulus of my own thirst.
  • 28. Discounting - Problem The person who discounts a problem realizes that something is happening, but ignores the fact that whatever is happening poses a problem.
  • 29. Discounting - Options When discounting options, the person is aware that something is happening and that it constitutes a problem. But she blanks out the possibility that anything can be done about the problem.
  • 30. Discounting - Options As I sat drooping, I knew that I felt thirsty. I was aware that my thirst was a problem to me. But I was unawarely ignoring the many options I had, other than just sitting and hoping the waiter to respond.
  • 32. Discounting- Existence In the example, I was discounting the existence of my own options to solve the problem.
  • 33. Discounting- Significance If I had been discounting the significance of my options, I might have said to my friend: I suppose I could go over and ask him. But I bet asking him wouldnt make a difference. Here, I did have realized there was something different I could do, but blanked out the possibility that his action could have any effect.
  • 34. Discounting- Change possibilities In this case, I would have let myself realize that the option existed and that it might have results, while ignoring the possibility that anyone could actually put the option into practice.
  • 35. Discounting- Personal Abilities Here I am aware the options exists and could bring results. I realize that some people in the world might well use that option. But I dismiss my own ability to do so.
  • 36. Discounting Matrix Discounting matrix is compiled by listing all the possible combinations of types and levels of discount. When we do so, we will get the discounting matrix diagram.
  • 38. Discounting Matrix - Example Suppose two friends are talking. One of them is a heavy smoker. As he lights up yet another cigarette, he is convulsed by a bout of coughing. His friend says to him : Thats is a terrible cough. I am concerned about you. Please give up smoking. What might be the smokers reply if he were discounting in each of the twelve different boxes on the matrix?
  • 39. Discounting existence of stimuli If the smoker were discounting the existence of the stimuli, he might reply: What cough? I was not coughing?
  • 40. Discounting existence of problem If the smoker were discounting the existence of the problem, he might say: Oh, no, I am fine, thanks. I have always had a cough. He is letting himself be aware of his cough, but blotting out the possibility that this may constitute a problem to him.
  • 41. Discounting significance of stimuli In discounting the existence of the problem, he is also discounting the significance of the stimulus. In discounting the possibility that his cough may be a problem, he is also discounting the fact that the cough may have some meaning (Significance) for him.
  • 42. Diagonal arrows This is indicated on the matrix diagram by the diagonal arrow connecting the boxes for existence of problems and Significance of stimuli. The arrow means that one of these discounts will always entail the other.
  • 43. Diagonal Arrows and T numbers All the diagonal arrows on the diagram has this meaning. The T numbers, entered at the top left of each box, are labels for the different diagonals. For instance, discounts of the existence of the problem and the significance of the stimuli corresponds to diagonal T2.
  • 44. Discounting existence of options When we take T3, smoker is discounting the existence of options. He might show this by replying Well, yes, but we smokers do cough, you know?. A short lie and a happy one, that what I say, ha, ha.
  • 45. Discounting existence of options Now he is admitting that he has a cough and that the cough may well indicate a problem, namely that smoking can kill people. But he is blanking out the possibility that anyone can do anything to avoid smokers cough.
  • 46. Discounting significance of the problem In doing so, he also blanks out any perception that the possibility of being killed by smoking is something he might be concerned about. He discounts the significance of the problem.
  • 47. Discounting changeability of stimulus And by his denial that anything can possibly be done by anyone to get rid of a smokers cough, he discounts the changeability of the stimulus.
  • 48. Discounting significance of options The same equivalence of discounts applies along the other diagonals. On T4, the smoker might say: Well, yes, I suppose I should give up really. But I have been smoking for so long, I dont think my giving up now is going to make any difference.
  • 49. Discounting viability of options and persons ability to act on options On T5, he might respond: Sure, you are right. I need to give up, But I cant figure out how to do it. And on T6, the smoker might say: Yes, I have been telling myself for ages I should throw my cigarettes and lighter away. But I just cant seem to get round to it.
  • 50. Discounting matrix Another feature of this matrix is that a discounting in any box also entails discounts in the boxes below and to its right.
  • 51. Discounting - Sequence Suppose a person is discounting the existence of a problem. Since he is not allowing himself to be aware that the problem even exists, he is obviously also going to blank out any perception that the problem may be significant.
  • 52. Discounting - Sequence Nor will he be thinking whether he or anyone else can solve the problem. He is thus discounting in the entire column of boxes related to problems. And since he is ignoring the existence of the problem, why should he consider whether there are options for solving it? Because he thus discounts the existence of options, he will also discount all the other boxes in the options column.
  • 53. Discounting - Sequence Finally, recall that a discount of the existence of problem is equivalent to discounting the significance of stimuli, along diagonal T2. Therefore, the other two boxes below it in the stimuli column will be discounted also.
  • 54. Discounting matrix A person discounting on any diagonal will be discounting in all the boxes below and to the right of that diagonal.
  • 55. Activity Make up the discount matrix for this example. Wife and husband have just settled down in bed for the night. Then, in the next room, their baby starts crying. The husband says Do you think one of us should go and see why the baby is crying?
  • 56. Levels of Discounting The EXISTENCE of a problem, e.g. a baby cries and the parents go to sleep. The SIGNIFICANCE of a problem Oh the baby always cries at this time. The CHANGE POSSIBILITIES The baby will never be satisfied. The PERSONAL ABILITY to actually carry out the change You could but I cant change the nappy. At each level the discount can be of three types: The STIMULUS can be discounted. The PROBLEM can be discounted. The OPTIONS can be discounted.
  • 57. Activity Work out the responses his wife might give if she were discounting on each of the diagonals in the discounting matrix. Confirm that the hierarchy of discounts applies.
  • 58. Using the Discount Matrix Whenever a problem is not being solved, some information relevant to the solution of that problem is being ignored. The discount matrix gives us a systematic way to pinpointing what information is being missed. This in turn provides guidance to the specific actions we need to take to solve the problem.
  • 59. Using the Discount Matrix When a problem remains unsolved despite efforts to solve it, this is often because the person is addressing the problem on too low a diagonal of the discount matrix.
  • 60. Using the Discount Matrix It follows that in using the matrix as a problem solving tool, we need to begin by looking for discounts on the highest diagonal first.
  • 61. Using the Discount Matrix We step into the matrix at the top left corner. If we discover a discount there, we need to deal with that discount before going any further downward or to the right. Because if we miss that initial discount and try to deal with a discount on any lower diagonal, our intervention will itself be discounted.
  • 62. Example If you were the friend of a smoker and seeing him cough, you say I am concerned about you. Please give up smoking. With your intervention, you have addressed the problem on the lowest diagonal of the box. The issue is whether the smoker is going to act on a specific option.
  • 63. Example But suppose the smoker is discounting much higher on the matrix? For example, he may be diagonal T2, discounting the significance of stimulus and existence of the problem. It is obvious that he will also discount any relevance in what you have just said to him. Why should he have any investment is stopping smoking, when as far as he is aware, his smokers cough is not a problem.
  • 64. Example Suppose now you wanted to help your smoking friend by systematically using the discount matrix, you would begin by checking for a discount on diagonal T1. Are you aware that you have got a really bad cough?
  • 65. Example If he confirms that he is aware of the cough, you would go down to the next diagonal. You might ask Is that cough of yours something you bother about? Were he to reply No, Not really, it is something I just take for granted. Now you have located that his discount is on T2.
  • 66. Example This lets you know that if your smoker friend is to give up his habit, he first needs to become aware that his cough may indicate a problem He needs to realize too that his problem may be a cause of his concern.
  • 67. Example When he were to check through the discount matrix, the real problem may be different. While lecturing, he mumbles. The students cant hear what he is saying. The discount is on diagonal T2 of the matrix. To address the problem, the lecturer simply needs to speak up.
  • 68. Application The discount matrix was originally developed for use in psychotherapy. But it provides an equally effective tool for problem solving in organization and education.
  • 69. Activity When you have identified the discount, consider its ego state source. Did it come from contamination? An exclusion? Or were you uninformed or misinformed? Let yourself be aware of whatever part of reality you had previously been discounting. If you need accurate or new information, get it.
  • 70. Example A college teacher takes a class and asks student some questions to check their understanding. To his surprise, the students can answer hardly any. He told himself These students are not working. Why they dont have any motivation?
  • 71. Example By assuming that the students have not been working, he is addressing a discount in the area of others on diagonal T5 or T6 of the discount matrix. He has assumed that students knew they have to work but they either dont feel they can handle the work or just arent getting started?