what is the meaning of the words implicit and explicit as used in psychodynamic counselling?

Answer 1

think about the difference between implode and explode....

now think of implicit and explicit....

one is outward turning... the other is inward turning..

If I tell you
"there is some rice pudding in the fridge for dessert tonight"

there is an implied message to not eat the dessert in the fridge because it is for dessert tonight.

If I tell you
"Don't eat the rice pudding it is for dessert tonight" then it is explicit

here is an article I wrote about some other words that are often mistakenly used for one another....

The seeming interchangable nature of some words can blur their
meanings in the minds of readers and writers. Some pairs of words have similar meanings and may be commonly used to replace one another. Even some dictionaries may use one of the words in a pair to define the other.

It is common place for 'explication' and 'exposition' to be used to
express the same idea, but are they really two ways of saying the
same thing? It is important as writers to understand whether the
descriptive passage we have written is an explication or an
exposition.

explication:
The act of opening, unfolding, or explaining; explanation;
exposition; interpretation.

exposition:
The act of exposing or laying open; a setting out or displaying to
public view.

Consider these paragraphs.

paragraph (a)
Hundred-year-old bricks tumbled in dusty heaps amid the sound of jackhammers and sledgehammers. Wrought iron filigree fell in rusty heaps, staring up at the sun. Sheets of corrugated iron bent in contorted shapes piled high by the fence awaited their final journey to the tip.

paragraph (b)
At the worksite where the building was being torn down to make way for the new TAFE College, one-hundred-year-old clay-baked bricks tumbled down from the walls in dusty heaps amid the sound of the vibrating jackhammers and the heavy sledgehammers used by the workmen. Wrought iron filigree panels that used to decorate the verandahs and the windows of the building fell in rusty heaps on the ground, staring up at the hot sun. Sheets of corrugated iron from the roof had been torn off and were bent in contorted shapes and piled high by the safety fence surrounding the worksite. They awaited their final journey to the rubbish tip.

Paragraph (a) above is an exposition. It lays open the image of the building being torn down. It does not go on to explain. It is
the 'not explaining' which makes this paragraph an exposition. It
simply exposes the image, opens it up for the reader to interpret.

Paragraph (b) above is an explication. It explains everything. It
leaves little if anything to the imagination of the reader.

It is the work of the writer to expose, or open up the images. Kind
of like drawing an outline and filling in some details but allowing
the reader to colour the picture themselves.

A writer who explains the images and fills in the back story behind
the image takes the fun out of reading. They leave nothing to the
readers imagination and quite frankly explications become tiresome and boring.

'Implication' and 'inference' are also often interchanged. However
they have very different meanings. One easy way to remember the difference is "Writers Imply and Readers Infer."

Implication is a tool used in the process of sending a message.
Inference is a tool used in decoding a message.

implication:
1) The act of implicating or the condition of being implicated.
2) The act of implying or the condition of being implied.
3) Something that is implied, especially:
a) An indirect indication; a suggestion.
b) An implied meaning; implicit significance.
c) An inference.

inference:
The act or process of deriving logical conclusions from premises
known or assumed to be true.
The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.

Consider this paragraph.

paragraph (c)
James stared down at his feet. The black and white leather encasing his toes came to a neat point two inches beyond where his big toe stopped. He smiled.

What logical conclusion have you drawn about James by reading
paragraph (c)?

If part of your life experience is that of the Rock 'n' Roll era
with slicked back hair and pointy shoes you may have concluded that James is a rock 'n' roll dancer.

If part of your life experience is that of enjoying watching clowns
or being a clown with big pointy shoes then perhaps you have
concluded that James is a clown.

If part of your life experience is that of being or spending time
with transvestites or transexuals you may have concluded that James is a transsexual or transvestite.

Of course, being a thinking and questioning human being you will not have completed your conclusion but you will have begun to conclude.

What you have done as a reader of the above paragraph is to infer who James is via your interpretation of the image. As the writer of the above mentioned paragraph I have implied an interpretation of who James is or might be.

Kind Regards

Cheryl

Answer 2

In a counseling setting Implicit and explicit are often used in regards to family rules.

Explicit rules are the easiest to explain because they are verbally said, and sometime explained. In a family an explicit rule could be something as simple as "You need to be home by 10 PM."

An Implicit rule is something that is not said, but is understood. Some families have an implicit rule that your don't argue with your parents. Now, this is not expressly stated, but the kids understand that they are not to agrue with mom and dad. This can be conveyed in any number of ways such as consequences and other reactive behaviors from the parents.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Implicit and explicit are always opposed. For example: a cop stops you and say" why were you in jail before?"He implies that you were arrested before without knowing your civil record. He could have been explicit by asking you" Have you ever been arrested before?" Your yes or no answer gives an explanation of the situation at hand.



actually, no. the cop would be inferring that you had been in jail before. the implication, is something you are finding in what he said, not the meaning he intended.
but otherwise, you are correct for the most part.

Answer 4

Implicit and explicit are always opposed. For example: a cop stops you and say" why were you in jail before?"He implies that you were arrested before without knowing your civil record. He could have been explicit by asking you" Have you ever been arrested before?" Your yes or no answer gives an explanation of the situation at hand.

Answer 5

implicit means that something was implied by another party for example "you'll be sorry" is an implicit threat. however "I will break your knees if you...." is an explicit threat. in a psychodynamic framework it refers to the questions that are asked to a patient that may help them come to their own conclusions without spelling it out for them. it also refers to the hidden meanings pt's stories or dreams carry in which the analyst looks for subconcious reasons for behavior classicaly rooted in ones childhood.

Answer 6

implicit: an understood unwritten rule or code of conduct etc.

explicit: clearly written, clearly understood or unambiguous etc

Answer 7

I used to ask lots of questions on Wednesdays.

Answer 8

I was going to answer this, but there are already very good answers. So instead, I'll just say that 'I heartily concur with my colleagues here.'

Sash.

Answer 9

The simple answer is attachment avoidance.

Answer 10

Que?