Peter G. Ossorio (4 May 1926 – 24 April 2007) was an American psychologist best known for his development of descriptive psychology, a pragmatic and theory neutral pre-empirical approach to the study of behavior.[1][2] Ossorio in his 2006 volume, The Behavior of Persons, explicated the concept of "Persons" by creating a conceptual map of the interdependent concepts of "Individual Person", "Language", "Action", and "Reality". He described persons as individuals whose history is, paradigmatically, a history of Deliberate Action in a dramaturgical pattern.
Peter G. Ossorio was born on May 4, 1926 in Los Angeles CA as the youngest of six children. The family was highly intellectual and all six children earned college degrees. His oldest brother, Abel G Ossorio, was the first Hispanic Ph.D. in clinical psychology, receiving his degree from UC-Berkeley in 1958. Peter attended UCLA as an undergraduate after serving time in the US Army. While in graduate school in clinical psychology, he took course work in philosophy with Rudolf Carnap and other members of the department</interview with P. G. Ossorio>. He also became familiar with automata theory and was a proficient computer programmer. At UCLA, he worked closely with Comrey who was a master of factor analytic technique and became adept in their use and his own programming of required procedure.[3] He moved to the University of Colorado in 1961 and the clinical psychology faculty in Boulder where he taught, supervised, mentored, wrote and conducted research for his entire academic career, and where he founded a discipline that came to be known as "descriptive psychology." Much of his research was funded by government agencies and businesses rather than the normal route of NIMH and NSF. He submitted successful contract proposals through his several business, including the Linguistic Research Institute, Ellery Systems, and Global Commerce Systems.[4]
His publications are extensive, and he is widely recognized for creating descriptive psychology, a unique and systematic approach to understanding persons and their behavior. Descriptive psychology has been used by professionals around the world to solve problems in the fields of artificial intelligence, astronomy, business, computer science, psychology, spirituality, and others.[5]
Development of descriptive psychology
Persons, 1966
When Ossorio entered academia, the prevailing idea was that psychology was a strictly empirical venture whose task it was to state empirically verifiable theories and then test them with experimental or other empirical procedures. Following an insight of Carnap that "meaning precedes truth," he pointed out that a conceptual framework is required before one can state empirically testable propositions. Such frameworks are pre-empirical; they are descriptive frameworks for the identification of a subject matter and are not themselves open to verification because they are concepts or distinctions—not propositions. Ossorio used various examples to make this point. To engage in the game of chess, one must understand the rules of the game, what moves are open to each type of piece (King, Queen, Knight, Rook, Bishop and Pawn), how a game is started, what counts as a check-mate, a draw, etc. With the rules in hand and something to represent the board and the pieces, one can play the game or can develop a theory of successful strategies for the game, study empirically what masters of the game do in specific positions, etc. The rules of the game provide the framework within which the social practices of playing the game can occur and facts can be discovered. Ossorio makes the same kind of point with respect to baseball (Ossorio, 1985). Ossorio's insights about methods in the behavioral sciences were also novel. He operated from a pragmatic paradigm. His ideas about the conduct of research were a direct outgrowth of his formulations of the Person concept, especially the notions of deliberate action, significance, and acting as a member of a community. He carefully distinguished the classical Semantic Paradigm of research (theory-hypothesis-operationalization-confirmation) with its focus on empirical truths from his Pragmatic Paradigm (conceptualization-decision-action-vindication), which was concerned with expanding a person or groups’ behavioral potential. Because the Pragmatic Paradigm of research gives a priority to conceptualizations and decisions, Ossorio placed the responsibility on the investigator for the entire course of the research process—including what the implications of the research were for everyday life in the real world. As he observed, there were rules for doing research that guaranteed the relevance or general applicability of one’s research findings.[6][7][8]
Ossorio contended that this is not a way which language operates and in order to theoretically assert anything a person must first have a description of it that reliably discriminates it from other things it has the possibility of being but is not. The task of describing accurately is necessary prior to creating theories – and “behavioral science” of the time had no place or method for describing behavior. Ossorio proceeded to articulate the conceptual structure within which descriptions of persons and behavior could be given, and in doing so demonstrated, in a vein similar to Wittgenstein[9] that the clear description of something leaves little more explanation needed.[10]
Major publications
Selected sole-authored
Ossorio, P. G. (1966/1995). Persons. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio, Vol. I. Ann Arbor, MI: Descriptive Psychology Press. (Original work published 1966 as LRI Report No. 3. Los Angeles, CA & Boulder, CO: Linguistic Research Institute.)
Ossorio, P. G. (1971/1975/1978/2005). “What actually happens”: The representation of real world phenomena. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio, Vol. IV. Ann Arbor, MI: Descriptive Psychology Press. Also published Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1975, 1978. (Original work published 1971 as LRI Report No. 10a. Whittier, CA & Boulder, CO: Linguistic Research Institute.
Ossorio, P. G. (1986/1997). Three-minute lectures on emotion. In Essays on clinical topics. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio, Vol. II (pp. 99–128). Ann Arbor, MI: Descriptive Psychology Press. (Original work published 1986 as LRI Report No. 36a. Boulder, CO: Linguistic Research Institute.)
Ossorio, P. G. (1986/1997). More three-minute lectures on emotion. In Essays on clinical topics. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio, Vol. II (pp. 131–161). Ann Arbor, MI: Descriptive Psychology Press. (Original work published 1986 as LRI Report No. 36b. Boulder, CO: Linguistic Research Institute.)
Ossorio, P. G. (1997). Essays on clinical topics. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio, Vol. II. Ann Arbor, MI: Descriptive Psychology Press.
Ossorio, P. G. (2006). The behavior of persons. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio, Vol. V. Ann Arbor, MI: Descriptive Psychology Press.
^The Ethnogenic Approach. (1998). The Handbook of social psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
^Lane Lasater, Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse, Janet E. Gustafson, . (2000). Recovery from compulsive behavior: how to transcend your troubled family . Los Angeles, CA: Wellness Institute, Inc..
^Bergner, R. (2007). Status Dynamics: Creating New Paths to Therapeutic Change. Ann Arbor, MI: Burns Park Publishers.
^Bergner, R. & Staggs, J. (1987). The positive therapeutic relationship as accreditation. Psychotherapy, 24, 315-320.
^Bergner, R. (1995). Pathological self-criticism: Assessment and treatment. New York: Plenum Press.
^de Ramírez, S.B.B. (2007). Native american life-history narratives: colonial and postcolonial navajo ... pg 222. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Peter G Ossorio news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message Peter G Ossorio 4 May 1926 24 April 2007 was an American psychologist best known for his development of descriptive psychology a pragmatic and theory neutral pre empirical approach to the study of behavior 1 2 Ossorio in his 2006 volume The Behavior of Persons explicated the concept of Persons by creating a conceptual map of the interdependent concepts of Individual Person Language Action and Reality He described persons as individuals whose history is paradigmatically a history of Deliberate Action in a dramaturgical pattern Peter G OssorioBorn 1926 05 04 May 4 1926Los Angeles CaliforniaDiedApril 24 2007 2007 04 24 aged 80 Boulder ColoradoSchoolDescriptive psychologyAcademic advisorsRudolf CarnapInfluences Ludwig Wittgenstein Rudolf CarnapInfluenced Bergner Ray Keith E Davis Mary McDermott Shideler Wynn Schwartz Contents 1 Background 2 Development of descriptive psychology 2 1 Persons 1966 3 Major publications 3 1 Selected sole authored 4 See also 5 ReferencesBackground EditPeter G Ossorio was born on May 4 1926 in Los Angeles CA as the youngest of six children The family was highly intellectual and all six children earned college degrees His oldest brother Abel G Ossorio was the first Hispanic Ph D in clinical psychology receiving his degree from UC Berkeley in 1958 Peter attended UCLA as an undergraduate after serving time in the US Army While in graduate school in clinical psychology he took course work in philosophy with Rudolf Carnap and other members of the department lt interview with P G Ossorio gt He also became familiar with automata theory and was a proficient computer programmer At UCLA he worked closely with Comrey who was a master of factor analytic technique and became adept in their use and his own programming of required procedure 3 He moved to the University of Colorado in 1961 and the clinical psychology faculty in Boulder where he taught supervised mentored wrote and conducted research for his entire academic career and where he founded a discipline that came to be known as descriptive psychology Much of his research was funded by government agencies and businesses rather than the normal route of NIMH and NSF He submitted successful contract proposals through his several business including the Linguistic Research Institute Ellery Systems and Global Commerce Systems 4 His publications are extensive and he is widely recognized for creating descriptive psychology a unique and systematic approach to understanding persons and their behavior Descriptive psychology has been used by professionals around the world to solve problems in the fields of artificial intelligence astronomy business computer science psychology spirituality and others 5 Development of descriptive psychology EditPersons 1966 Edit When Ossorio entered academia the prevailing idea was that psychology was a strictly empirical venture whose task it was to state empirically verifiable theories and then test them with experimental or other empirical procedures Following an insight of Carnap that meaning precedes truth he pointed out that a conceptual framework is required before one can state empirically testable propositions Such frameworks are pre empirical they are descriptive frameworks for the identification of a subject matter and are not themselves open to verification because they are concepts or distinctions not propositions Ossorio used various examples to make this point To engage in the game of chess one must understand the rules of the game what moves are open to each type of piece King Queen Knight Rook Bishop and Pawn how a game is started what counts as a check mate a draw etc With the rules in hand and something to represent the board and the pieces one can play the game or can develop a theory of successful strategies for the game study empirically what masters of the game do in specific positions etc The rules of the game provide the framework within which the social practices of playing the game can occur and facts can be discovered Ossorio makes the same kind of point with respect to baseball Ossorio 1985 Ossorio s insights about methods in the behavioral sciences were also novel He operated from a pragmatic paradigm His ideas about the conduct of research were a direct outgrowth of his formulations of the Person concept especially the notions of deliberate action significance and acting as a member of a community He carefully distinguished the classical Semantic Paradigm of research theory hypothesis operationalization confirmation with its focus on empirical truths from his Pragmatic Paradigm conceptualization decision action vindication which was concerned with expanding a person or groups behavioral potential Because the Pragmatic Paradigm of research gives a priority to conceptualizations and decisions Ossorio placed the responsibility on the investigator for the entire course of the research process including what the implications of the research were for everyday life in the real world As he observed there were rules for doing research that guaranteed the relevance or general applicability of one s research findings 6 7 8 Ossorio contended that this is not a way which language operates and in order to theoretically assert anything a person must first have a description of it that reliably discriminates it from other things it has the possibility of being but is not The task of describing accurately is necessary prior to creating theories and behavioral science of the time had no place or method for describing behavior Ossorio proceeded to articulate the conceptual structure within which descriptions of persons and behavior could be given and in doing so demonstrated in a vein similar to Wittgenstein 9 that the clear description of something leaves little more explanation needed 10 Major publications EditSelected sole authored Edit Ossorio P G 1966 1995 Persons The collected works of Peter G Ossorio Vol I Ann Arbor MI Descriptive Psychology Press Original work published 1966 as LRI Report No 3 Los Angeles CA amp Boulder CO Linguistic Research Institute Ossorio P G 1971 1975 1978 2005 What actually happens The representation of real world phenomena The collected works of Peter G Ossorio Vol IV Ann Arbor MI Descriptive Psychology Press Also published Columbia SC University of South Carolina Press 1975 1978 Original work published 1971 as LRI Report No 10a Whittier CA amp Boulder CO Linguistic Research Institute Ossorio P G 1986 1997 Three minute lectures on emotion In Essays on clinical topics The collected works of Peter G Ossorio Vol II pp 99 128 Ann Arbor MI Descriptive Psychology Press Original work published 1986 as LRI Report No 36a Boulder CO Linguistic Research Institute Ossorio P G 1986 1997 More three minute lectures on emotion In Essays on clinical topics The collected works of Peter G Ossorio Vol II pp 131 161 Ann Arbor MI Descriptive Psychology Press Original work published 1986 as LRI Report No 36b Boulder CO Linguistic Research Institute Ossorio P G 1997 Essays on clinical topics The collected works of Peter G Ossorio Vol II Ann Arbor MI Descriptive Psychology Press Ossorio P G 2006 The behavior of persons The collected works of Peter G Ossorio Vol V Ann Arbor MI Descriptive Psychology Press See also EditStatus dynamic psychotherapyReferences Edit The Ethnogenic Approach 1998 The Handbook of social psychology New York NY McGraw Hill Lane Lasater Sharon Wegscheider Cruse Janet E Gustafson 2000 Recovery from compulsive behavior how to transcend your troubled family Los Angeles CA Wellness Institute Inc interview with Ossorio Obit in Boulder Camera personal interviews with collaborators Putman A O Ph D Descriptivepsychologypress com Bergner R 2007 Status Dynamics Creating New Paths to Therapeutic Change Ann Arbor MI Burns Park Publishers Bergner R amp Staggs J 1987 The positive therapeutic relationship as accreditation Psychotherapy 24 315 320 Bergner R 1995 Pathological self criticism Assessment and treatment New York Plenum Press de Ramirez S B B 2007 Native american life history narratives colonial and postcolonial navajo pg 222 Albuquerque NM University of New Mexico Press Putman A O Ph D Descriptivepsychologypress com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Peter G Ossorio amp oldid 1097423014, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
