Twelve Choices: A Framework For Interpersonal Process And Strategy

Abstract

The Twelve Choices framework integrates theories by William Schutz and W.R. Bion to offer a way to visualize our choices of emotive overtones in relating to others.  Every interpersonal behavior can have one or both of a task component and an emotive component.  The emotive overtones in interpersonal behavior can be categorized on four dimensions, with two extremes and a midpoint on each dimension resulting in twelve major labels for emotive overtones.  The four emotive dimensions are Control, Affection, Aggression, and Flight.   Control dimension has “Pre-emptive (or controlling)” behaviors at one extreme, “Interdependence” in the middle, and “Dependence (or submissive / compliant)”at the other extreme.  Affection dimension has “Love” at one extreme, “Empathy” in the middle, and “Apathy” at the other extreme. Aggression dimension has “Aggression towards the other” at one extreme, “Confrontation” in the middle, and “Self-flagellation” at the other extreme.  Flight dimension has “Escape” at one extreme, “Humor” in the middle, and “Withdrawal” at the other extreme.  Managers may utilize this framework to understand their own and others’ patterns of emotive responses, and to learn about the impact of individual and interpersonal behaviors on group dynamics, and to visualize their options for interpersonal behavior.