Neuro‐linguistic programming and learning theory: a response

Abstract

In an earlier issue of this journal, Craft (2001) This article offers a response to Craft's article. It describes the origins and nature of NLP, and explores its theoretical identity. NLP is portrayed here as based primarily on the cybernetic epistemology of Gregory Bateson (1972Bateson ( , 1979. The article offers a critique of many of the views put across in Craft's article, and builds on her attempt to position NLP theoretically.The broad aims of this article are to offer an informed perspective on the nature of NLP; to extend the academic literature on NLP; and to develop debate about its relevance to the theory and practice of education.

Mapping Transformative Learning

“…There are signs of the stirrings of welcome debate about the theoretical status of NLP (e.g., Craft, 2001;Tosey & Mathison, 2003), an issue also being addressed by some writers in the NLP field (e.g., Young, 2001). Because NLP originally was a methodology used to identify and code effective practices from a range of practitioners and theories, its contents-models and strategies-appear highly eclectic.…”

“…Our own view (Tosey & Mathison, 2003) is that the key theory of NLP is that which pertains to its methodological nature. We argue (Tosey & Mathison, 2003) that NLP is strongly and consistently based on a systemic epistemology, as represented in the work of Bateson (1973;Bateson & Bateson, 1988) and as described in the field by Dilts (2000). Trying to reconcile the contents of models and frameworks employed by NLP seems unlikely to be as fruitful.…”

“…NLP writing and practice show influences from a wide array of fields, such as gestalt therapy (Perls, 1969), person-centred counselling (Rogers, 1961), transformational grammar (Grinder & Elgin, 1973), behavioural psychology, cybernetics (Ashby, 1965), the Palo Alto school of brief therapy (Watzlawick, Beavin, & Jackson, 1967), Ericksonian hypnotherapy (Bandler & Grinder, 1975a;Grinder, DeLozier, & Bandler, 1977), and perhaps most important the cybernetic epistemology of Gregory Bateson (1973;Tosey & Mathison, 2003). The cybernetic aspect is reflected, for example, in NLP's adoption of the TOTE (test-operate-testexit) mode of functioning (Miller, Galanter, & Pribram, 1960), which depends on the dynamics of calibration and feedback (Bateson, 1973;Wiener, 1965).…”

“…Two of the authors have trained in NLP and are active researchers in the field (Mathison, 2003;Tosey & Mathison, 2003). All authors have experience of facilitating what we think of as forms of transformative learning in contexts such as management development coaching.…”

Neuro‐linguistic programming as an innovation in education and teaching

“…Academic literature on NLP is sporadic and scattered across disciplines. In education and development this includes Brown (2003), Craft (2001), Stanton (1994), Thompson et al (2002), and Tosey and Mathison (2003). Even this literature has little theoretically informed, critical discussion of NLP.…”