EPIC Contents

Get to know the central themes that our experts have developed during the two years of work in the EPIC project. An interdisciplinary and intercultural work that will enrich our prospective around several important topics for interpersonal and intergenerational communication. Download the EPIC BOOK: "Support, Connect and Lead. A guide for positive communication" to deepen the main topics. 

Below you will find a brief introduction to each of them.

HOW CAN POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY SUPPORT COMMUNICATION?

Scientific research about positive psychology has grown in the past decade. Positive Psychology aims to improve everyday life, healthcare, education systems, work life and societies across the globe. In other words, the goal is to multiply positive aspects of human life. The target of positive psychology is not the absence of negative, but the multiplication of positive aspects in human life. Positive social relations are, for example, one of the essential dimensions for psychological well-being (besides the meaning of life, autonomy, personal growth, and self-acceptance).   

Communication is a cornerstone of positive relationships and valuable living together. What does “positive” mean concerning communication? Functioning, viable and nourishing relationships are marked by their flexibility, empathy, connection and engagement. “Positive communication” is crucial for relationships, containing a benevolent face and respectful handling between sender and receiver. Within this attitude, people are open and honest concerning their needs. They stand up for themselves and have their “heart at the right place”. Elementary for that is not only the quality of my reaction but also the perception of the one beside me. What is the other person aiming to express? Through active and positive verbalisation, fluent and respectful communication is possible.

HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY: MY ATTITUDE MAKES A DIFFEREN

Background of the Person-Centred Therapy

Carl Rogers’ humanistic psychology emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a reaction to the dominant psychological theories of the time, such as behaviourism and psychoanalysis. These two schools of thought had very different approaches to psychology, which, for Carl Rogers, needed to take more account of the subjective experience and freedom of the individual.   

Psychoanalysis was more focused on childhood experiences and unconscious conflicts, which strongly influenced the individual’s behaviour and personality. In addition, psychoanalytic therapists often use a directive and analytical approach to encourage their patients to explore their deepest feelings and to face their internal conflicts.   

Behaviourism, on the other hand, focuses on observable behaviours and the environmental stimuli that influence them. Behaviourists believed that behaviours could be shaped and conditioned, and they often used reinforcement and punishment techniques to modify individuals’ behaviour. 

In contrast, humanistic psychologists, including Carl Rogers, believe that each person has the potential for growth and development and that this potential can be realised through positive relationships and a supportive environment. They advocate a non-directive, person-centred approach, encouraging individuals to take control of their growth and find their path.   

Initially considered a therapy, Rogerian thinking is now widely used in various fields such as adult education, teaching, and political and social action. It is an open and non-dogmatic thought developed around practice.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is, first and foremost, a way of understanding what we experience. Through sensory perception, it can focus on an internal state, such as a visceral sensation or external events. It is a state of consciousness as opposed to an “automatic pilot”. Mindfulness is a way of being in relation to one’s own experience, what we perceive with the five senses, our body sensations, our emotions, and our thoughts. It results from voluntarily directing our attention to our present experience and exploring it with openness, whether we find it pleasant or not while developing an attitude of tolerance and patience towards ourselves. It is about training the ability to come closer to one’s experience, emotional and/or physical, rather than avoiding it.*

*P. Philippot, from webinar “Les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience”, Lyon 2021

SORC - A MODEL TO ANALYSE AND CHANGE BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS

The SORC model is one of the most famous models of psychotherapy and coaching. It was developed by Kanfer and Saslow in 1969 and is a basic element of the behaviouristic therapeutic approach. The idea: There are four factors that lead us to learn, use and maintain problematic behaviours. What can be the benefit of it for positive and responsive communication? When someone talks to us verbally or nonverbally, we have a certain amount of possible reactions. What other people do or say can be the trigger but not the cause of our feelings. According to the understanding in behavioural therapy, there is the assumption of a net of triggers causing (problematic) behaviours. When Situation, Organism, Reaction and Consequence (SORC) are clearly considered, we can identify the points to start working on. We can’t change feelings, situations or consequences, but we have an influence on our own thoughts and reactions as soon as we become conscious of them. This can lead to a transformation of our behaviour and communication.

THE POWER OF EMPATHY

Generally speaking, empathy is the ability to feel and understand another person, put oneself in their place, and see the world through their eyes. 

“To be empathic is to perceive another’s internal frame of reference as precisely as possible, and with the emotional components and meanings that belong to it, as if we were that person, but without ever losing sight of the as-if condition. (...) Empathic capacity therefore implies that, for example, we experience another’s pain or pleasure as they experience it and perceive the cause as they perceive it (i.e., we explain their feelings or perceptions as they explain them to themselves) without ever forgetting that these are the experiences and perceptions of the other.”As is explained in the book of Carl R. Rogers: “On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy”. 

Empathy is a key aspect of any constructive form of communication, not to be confused with sympathy or compassion. Sympathy is a sharing of emotions and concern for others and presupposes affective closeness and the ability to represent mental states. Compassion is more a perception of another’s suffering and a willingness to alleviate its ills. 

On the other hand, empathy is a deliberate and conscious action aimed at understanding others. This process is both a conscious and intentional effort to understand others from within and an automatic one. It is a process that can be both cognitive and emotional. It all depends on the situation. If I try to understand what a colleague is going through when he shares a difficult situation with me, that’s a conscious and deliberate process known as cognitive empathy; when he tells me about his situation, I burst into tears because I feel his sadness, that is more of an automatic process, known as emotional empathy. But the two are often linked. 

Empathy is an innate reflex, but recent neuroscience studies show it can be improved, mainly through training. Empathy can be learned since childhood, and it is essential that children grow up knowing that there are other points of view than their own, that there is, in fact, a multiplicity of points of view, hence the importance of communication in education. Although some people are naturally more empathetic, this ability can be worked on and developed. Empathy needs to be exercised, as it can also disappear again.

NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION (NVC)

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) was founded in the 1960s by the American psychologist Marshall Rosenberg. He was a student of Carl R. Rogers and is considered the founder of Humanistic Psychology. Rosenberg had a profound desire to explore and try new things in the field of communication and beyond.

Many elements of Rogerian psychology are at the heart of his practice, notably the centrality of empathy, authenticity and non-judgment in human relationships.

COMMUNICATION STYLES

Communication throughout the history of humanity has been a subject of interest and study. Many great thinkers, starting with Hippocrates (460BC), Carl Jung (1920), Myers/Briggs (1950s), Keirsey (1967), and Lowry (1978), have tried to organise, categorise and make sense of how our personality enforces and drives our communication style.

Communication and personality are two crucial factors that influence our daily interactions with our surroundings. Good communication skills help us express our thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively while listening and understanding others.

Positive or negative personality traits can impact how we interact with others and how they perceive us. Features such as empathy, openness, and friendliness can help us build rapport and trust within our relationships. Adapting our communication style to the needs of a given situation and the person we are interacting with is also a valuable skill. Communication and personality play an essential role in navigating social situations and building relationships with others.

COMMUNICATION IN EDUCATION

Humans are social beings. From birth onwards, we aspire to form a relationship. Relationship is the search for and acceptance of someone else, of the other. Relationship means letting the other come close to us. It means being the first to be willing to approach the other, to smile, to invite them to play, to work together, to feel, to listen to them, to hear them and to accept them as they are.   

For a child, observational and exploratory play, dialogue with adults, and peer relationships are essential for development. It offers the child a point of view beyond his or her own, a respect for the essential rules of behaviour, sharing and helping: Skills that need to be encouraged and monitored.   

Education has great potential because the quality of relationships is important, both between persons and between facts, knowledge and meanings. This requires that from an early age, children are enabled to engage in their development actively, question, ask questions, and construct and reconstruct their own experiences in the first person and dialogue with others.   

Only concrete actions build one’s identity, each relationship opening a path that builds a network of relationships, influencing mutual respect at all levels, offering freedom of communication and mastery of control over oneself and the environment. This is the path where faith in the other grows, and this has significant meaning for the person because it confirms the personal dignity that the spiritual dimension gives. Without faith in one’s fellow man, human greatness and harmony disappear, leading to society’s disintegration.

DEALING WITH CONFLICTS

In the previous chapters, we explored the complexities of nonviolent communication, discovering how to foster positive connections within families and among family members. Now, we venture into a realm where our newfound knowledge and skills can become tools for change, for intervention when it is needed most.   

As family and community group leaders, our role extends beyond self-improvement  and communication refinement. We are invited to become catalysts for positive change within families and other communities facing crises. While the first two chapters emphasised personal growth and effective communication, this chapter equips us with concrete tools and strategies for supporting others during challenging times.   

From conflict resolution techniques to an introduction to mediation and methods tailored for educators and parents to a holistic approach to combating bullying through nonviolent means, this chapter offers practical guidance to help families navigate tumultuous waters. But remember, it is not just about technique but about the compassionate and empathetic attitude you bring to these situations. The trainer’s approach is as crucial as the tools themselves, for it is through our relationships that we truly make a difference in the lives of those we aim to support.

THE BASICS OF MEDIATION

Mediation is a structured and voluntary process in which a neutral third party, known as a mediator, helps facilitate communication and negotiation between disputing parties to reach a mutually acceptable resolution for their conflict or dispute. Why mediation? What is the added value of a mediator in a conflict resolution process? What skills do I need to mediate conflicts within my family, other families, or my surroundings? The following chapter introduces mediation methods, including some sample mediation scenarios. Please note that providing proper mediation training within these few pages is impossible. We want to give you an introduction to the topic. We want to invite and encourage you to be aware of the benefit of a guided conflict resolution process, to use meditative methods as a professional or volunteer companion for people, knowing that conflicts are part of our everyday life and contain a great chance of personal growth and the growth of connection between human beings.

THE NO BLAME APPROACH

The No Blame Approach* was developed at the beginning of the 1990-ties in England by George Robinson, headmaster of a school for children with behavioural disorders, and Barbara Maines, school psychologist. They were looking for a constructive method to fight bullying. Up to then, many different bullying intervention tools have been applied, which foresaw severe consequences for the bullying student. However, punishment and negative consequences did not necessarily improve the situation for the bullied child but also carried the danger of revenge. Barbara Maines and George Robinson designed a concept which did not focus on punishment but instead on the belief that if group dynamics in a classroom changed - meaning that the bullying actions would no longer be considered cool or funny by the other classmates – the bully would change his behaviour and stop bullying. The NBA considers the fact that bullying is not just an interaction between the offender and the victim but rather a situation where a whole group, in this case a class, is involved. The bullying activities are being watched by others – and in many cases, it is the open or silent approval of the others which encourages a bully to continue. Due to the increased usage of mobile devices and the long duration of online schooling, a rise in cyberbullying could also be observed. In some cases, students do not intentionally try to hurt someone and misjudge the effects a post, a joke, or a picture on the internet can have.

*Beck, Detlef/Blum, Heike (2023), No Blame Approach – Praxishandbuch, Köln

https://www.tk.de/resource/blob/2136590/02f83a5fcae2ef8e50f97868ef05f28a/2022-cybermobbingkernaussagen-

studie-cyberlife-iv-data.pdf , retrieved July, 17, 23

Full report: https://www.tk.de/presse/themen/praevention/medienkompetenz/studie-cybermobbing-2095156

CYBERBULLYING

Cyberbullying is being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other forms of social aggression using the internet or other digital technologies*.

Cyberbullying is extremely dangerous and can profoundly harm a child (or adult).

Parents and teachers often underestimate the dangers of cyberbullying. Additionally, they are often digitally less competent than children. An intervention which leads to the withdrawal of support for the offender by bystanders or silent students will have an impact on this student.

*Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D., Educator’s Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats. Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet.

INTERVENTION AGAINST

BULLYING

Bullying, particularly cyberbullying, endangers the physical and mental health and well-being of children and young people. At the same time, it impacts the entire family when a child suffers from bullying consequences. Bullying is particularly common between the ages of 10 - 15, primarily around schools and class groups, but also in other groups where children and young people hang out. Bullying and cyberbullying should not be viewed in isolation; cyberbullying can be a continuation of analogue bullying into the digital space. When dealing with bullying or cyberbullying, it is essential to differentiate between arguments, conflicts and bullying. While arguments and disputes often involve a relative balance between the parties, bullying is thought to involve a strong imbalance that requires adult intervention.   

This chapter introduces the No Blame Approach (NBA) bullying intervention method and shows it as a way to end bullying without assigning blame. The NBA was originally developed for use in schools in classic bullying cases, but it can also be applied to cyberbullying to end harmful behaviour by the bully in the long term. There is also other helpful information, such as the definition of bullying and cyberbullying, what forms cyberbullying can take, and research findings on the effects of cyberbullying on victims. It is helpful for parents to know the NBA method. It can also be applied in other group constellations, such as in a family network, a neighbourhood or in the youth group.