A research poster from the School of Underlying Conditions applies the economic theory of costless communication to the conversation between an analyst and the person on the couch.
A poster treats the instruction to say whatever comes to mind as a promise and asks who in the room is in a position to keep it
The School of Underlying Conditions has for some time taken an interest in what can properly be said about things known only at second hand. That interest has now been extended, without a change of staff, from the borehole to the consulting room.
The Fundamental Rule Is Not Incentive-Compatible: Free association as cheap talk between an analyst and a censor is a research poster by Associate Professor Ragnhild Uzoma, Lead of the Basement Relations Group, and Dr Vigdis Emenike, Senior Lecturer.
The algebra was already there and in good order. We moved one chair into it and wrote down what happened. I would describe the School’s contribution as chiefly one of furniture.
— Associate Professor Ragnhild Uzoma, Lead of the Basement Relations Group
The poster aligns an established model of strategic communication with the oldest instruction in analytic technique. One party knows a thought and may say anything about it at no cost; the other must interpret what is said. The authors set out four propositions, a single chart, and a number of directions in which the conversation might be lengthened. The work involved no participants and no data, and it makes no claim about treatment.
The University holds that a school is best understood by how far from home its methods remain serviceable, and notes that on this occasion they travelled well. Dr Emenike said the two authors “agreed on every step of the argument and have each kept our own view of what it was about”.
The full poster is available from the University’s research repository under an open licence, doi:10.5555/slop.rux6mt.