Discount Matrix
Dec 19, 2014
Discount Matrix
Prepared By Manu Melwin JoyResearch Scholar
School of Management StudiesCUSAT, Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114
Mail – [email protected]
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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.
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 dropping because the waiter wasn’t 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, hew was blanking out any aspects of the waiter’s 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 isn’t fair that these other people are getting served and I am not. But then, this world is an unfair place, isn’t it?”
• Here, I did have been discounting the situation.
Types of discounting
• The three types of
discounting are of:
• Stimuli.
• Problems.
• Options.
Discounting - Stimulus
• To discount a stimulus is
to blank out perception
that something is
happening at all.
• As I sat in the restaurant, I
might simply not have
allowed myself to feel
that I was thirsty.
Discounting - Stimulus
• I would have been discounting the stimulus of my own thirst.
• Maybe my friend, in calling the waiter incompetent, had not seen the way in which the waiter had actually succeeded in serving many other customers, even though the evidence was right there in front of him.
Discounting - Problem
• The person who discounts a problem realizes that something is happening, but ignores the fact that whatever is happening poses a problem.
• Feeling thirsty there in the restaurant, I might have said to my friend, “ I feel very thirsty right now, but, oh well, it doesn’t matter.”
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.
• That is where I was discounting in the original version of the restaurant scene.
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.
Levels of discounting
• The four levels of
discounting are:
• Existence.
• Significance.
• Change
possibilities.
• Personal abilities
Discounting- Existence• In the example, I was
discounting the existence of my own options to solve the problem.
• I didn’t even consider the possibility of, for example, walking over and speaking to the waiter instead of gesturing to him.
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 wouldn’t 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
Discounting my options at
the level of change
possibilities, I might have
said: “ Of course, I could
walk across and collar the
fellow. But people just
don’t do that in
restaurants”.
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 Matrix
• Discounting 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.
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 : “ That’s 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
smoker’s 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 smoker’s 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 don’t
think my giving up now is
going to make any difference.
Discounting viability of options and person’s ability to act on options
• On T5, he might respond: “ Sure, you are right. I need to give up, But I can’t 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 use 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
can’t 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
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 smoker’s 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.
Activity• Using discount matrix to
review your personal example of a problem situation you did not solve at the time.
• Begin at the top left of the discount matrix, check each box, working downwards on successive diagonals, until you identify the box in which you were discounting.
Activity• As before, if you were
working in a group or with a willing friend, it may be helpful if you get a second opinion.
• Test whether you were also discounting in all the other boxes on the same diagonal and those below it.
• What were the area of discount?
• Were you discounting yourself, others or the environment?
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.
Activity
• Now rerun the situation in your
mind’s eye.
• When you come to the point at
which you began discount,
replace the discount with your
full awareness of reality.
• How do you now act, think or
feel differently?
• How does this alter the
outcome of the situation?
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.
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 don’t 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 don’t feel they can handle the work or just aren’t getting started?
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.
Thank you
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