Uma comparação entre duas propostas metodológicas para a análise do registro de urna interação verbal em uma situação aplicada - o setting clínico

Abstract

Skinner (1957/1992) has characterized verbal behavior as the behavior of an individual which affects the world through someone else's behavior. He defined it in terms of the functional relationship between controlling variables and verbal response. This functional relationship determines the classification of verbal episodes in functional classes denominated verbal operant. Some authors have pointed out methodological difficulties for the use of Skinner's concepts in empirical studies of verbal behavior. Methodological proposals were presented in an attempt to deal with this subject. Some researches have used vocal record as data so much to discuss verbal behavior itself as from verbal reports, to discuss other behavior. In Brazil, a research line is being developed, with the main objective of understanding the relationships involved in the clinical practice. The data for these works is the transcription of therapeutic sessions, which is the recorded verbal interaction between therapist and client. Souza Filho (2001) analyzed therapeutic sessions in order to discuss assertive behavior. As a part of her work, the author gathered and systematized some criteria (presented in the available literature) for the definition of recording categories, in order to analyze the transcription of a therapeutic session. Considering that Skinner's (1957/1992) definition of verbal operant is fundamental for the behavior analyst's clinical work, where the available behavior for observation is, by definition, verbal behavior, the purpose of this work was to compare~ two different classifying systems (Souza Filho's and Skinner's). To make this analysis, two transcriptions of therapeutic sessions were categorized by both classification systems and the possibilities of analysis provided by each one of them were compared. The results suggest a possible functional identification among the related categories, which leads to say that the criterion proposed by Souza Filho is the functional relation between controlling variable and response, the some occurring in the one proposed by Skinner. It is also possible to infer a topographic identification among the related categories in both systems