A Theory of Rule-Structure and Types of Episodes and a Study of Perceived Enmeshment in Undesired Repetitive Patterns (“URPs”)

This paper is a major extension of a theory called “The Coordinated Management of Meaning” and includes an empirical test of certain aspects of that theory. The model for regulative rules developed by Cronen and Pearce (1978) is used as a heuristic device for identifying seven variables of rule structure. These variations in rule structure in turn generate an analytic schema for differentiating among episode types. The central contention is that the type of episode produced is a function of the rule structures conversante employ. The later portion of the paper contains an empirical study of one identified episode type: unwanted repetitive episodes (URPs). A stepwise regression analysis shows that rule structure variables accounted for over 51% of the variance in subjects' felt enmeshment in URPs. Results are discussed in terms of both the utility of procedures for analyzing relationships and the status of the theory in its current phase of development.