An Investigation of a Process By which a Division Officer Can Gain Empathy with His Men.

Abstract

The ability of the division officer to empathize or 'know his men' plays an important role in this establishment of an efficient and effective division. This study reviews six seminal theories of empathy and investigates a proposed process for use by the division officer to enhance his ability to 'know his men.' The process investigated is called the pentad. It involves performing a content analysis on interpersonal communications. The analysis should reveal which of five terms--act, scene, agent, agency, or purpose--the subordinate feels is dominant in his personal situation. This knowledge should allow the division officer to respond in an empathic manner. An analysis of forty personal interviews with detention center confinees revealed that they referenced primarily three of the terms--the act, the scene, and the agent. The study concludes that the pentad can be used by the division officer as a method of content analysis in reference to these three terms. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1979
Accession Number
ADA085049

Entities

People

  • Philip Briscoe Jr

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

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Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • California
  • Correctional Facilities
  • Doctrine
  • Grammars
  • Group Processes (Social Psychology)
  • Human Behavior
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Language
  • Motivation
  • Perception
  • Personality
  • Physical Properties
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • United States

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  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Organizational Psychology.
  • Systems Analysis and Design