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    Self construction in schizophrenia: A discourse analysis


    Meehan, Trudy and MacLachlan, Malcolm (2008) Self construction in schizophrenia: A discourse analysis. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 81 (2). pp. 131-142. ISSN 2044-8341

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    Abstract

    Objectives . Lysaker and Lysaker ( Theory and Psychology , 12 (2), 207–220, 2002) employ a dialogical theory of self in their writings on self disruption in schizophrenia. It is argued here that this theory could be enriched by incorporating a discursive and social constructionist model of self. Harré's model enables researchers to use subject positions to identify self construction in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia that the dialogical model, using analysis of narrative, does not as easily recognize. Methods . The paper presents a discourse analysis of self construction in eight participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Transcripts from semi‐structured interviews are analysed, wherein focus falls on how participants construct self in talk through the use of subject positioning. Results . The findings indicate that Harré's theory of self and the implied method of discourse analysis enables more subtle and nuanced constructions of self to be identified than those highlighted by Lysaker and Lysaker ( Theory and Psychology , 12 (2), 207–220, 2002). The analysis of subject positions revealed that participants constructed self in the form of Harré's ( The singular self: An introduction to the psychology of personhood , 1998, London: Sage) self1, self2, and self3. The findings suggest that there may be constructions of self used by people diagnosed with schizophrenia that are not recognized by the current research methods focusing on narrative. The paper argues for the recognition of these constructions and by implication a model of self that takes into account different levels of visibility of self construction in talk.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: Self construction; schizophrenia; discourse analysis;
    Academic Unit: Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute
    Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
    Item ID: 19447
    Identification Number: 10.1348/147608307X256777
    Depositing User: Malcolm MacLachlan
    Date Deposited: 28 Jan 2025 13:23
    Journal or Publication Title: Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
    Publisher: Wiley
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/19447
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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