APPLYING HABERMAS THEORY OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTION TO VALUES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

The author proposes applying Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action (1984, 1987) to the study of values in treatment outcome and process research. This is achieved by examining two forms of human action-understanding- or other-oriented, communicative action (CA), and control- or success-oriented, instrumental action (IA). CA is defined in terms of three general principles that are applied to a background and three validity claims. Any violation of these validity claims on the basis of any of the principles results in the degradation of CA into strategic action (SA). IA is represented in the techniques and interventions in psychotherapy and is guided by CA; otherwise, IA degrades into SA. The purpose of therapy is thus viewed as a dialogical process to increase and strengthen CA and decrease and set appropriate limitations on SA. Psychotherapies can be viewed as representing various combinations of CA, IA, and SA. Strategic therapies are regarded as reinforcing repressive values in modern society.