Speak Your Mind, but Not Like That: The Double Bind Theory
Posted February 20, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker
In the mid-20th century, Gregory Bateson and his colleagues (Bateson, G., Jackson, D. D., Haley, J., & Weakland, J., 1956) introduced a revolutionary concept that reshaped our understanding of communication's role in psychological disorders. The double bind theory, as it came to be known, suggests a complex interplay between familial communication patterns and the onset of schizophrenia and other emotional disturbances. This theory posits that when an individual is caught in a web of contradictory messages with no clear escape, the psychological toll can be profound (Watzlawick, P., Beavin, J.H., and Jackson, D.D., 1967).
Practical examples of double-bind situations illuminate how pervasive and varied these paradoxical communication patterns can be:
