Blackwell Reference Online

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Discursive psychology examines how psychological issues are made relevant and put to use in everyday talk. Unlike traditional psychological perspectives, discursive psychology does not approach the question of what psychology comprises and explains from an analyst's perspective. Instead the focus is on how psychological characteristics are made available, ascribed, and resisted by people themselves , as part of the social actions performed in and through talk. The step from assuming that talk reflects to looking at what talk does is paramount. Discursive psychologists analyze how direct and indirect appeals to mental states do things in the interaction, such as accusing, defending, building expertise, complaining, and complimenting. Rather than determining the truth value of what people report – by looking at what a person really wants, thinks or feels, or what the world really looks like – discursive psychology focuses on the interactional business performed with these descriptions. Limited memories may, for instance, account for a forgotten action, while displays of anger may enhance the genuineness and spontaneity of an explanation. The action-oriented approach to language makes discursive psychology radically different from cognitivist traditions in psychology that treat mental states as the source or cause of what is being said ( Edwards 1997 ; Edwards & Potter ... log in or subscribe to read full text