Choice Theory - Critiques of Choice Theory

Critiques of Choice Theory

In a book review, W. Clay Jackson writes, "Dr. Glasser postulates that everything contained in the DM-IV-TR is a result of an individual's brain creatively expressing its unhappiness. ... Dr. Glasser demonizes the entire profession as charlatans who have been brainwashed by their predecessors or who simply misrepresent many of the psychiatric illnesses to patients as having a biological basis. ... Despite claiming to have an appendix full of references demonstrating that there is no evidence that medications have a role in curing mental illness, the book simply relies on a core group of antiestablishment authors. ... However, what is noticeably absent from the book is a set of randomized clinical trials demonstrating the success of his teachings."

Glasser’s theories and teachings have not gone without criticism. Some question the assumptions that Glasser makes in devising his theory. W. Thomas Bourbon had two criticisms about the assumptions: First, the teacher or school is responsible for creating an environment that meets the needs of the students; however, a students chooses his behavior based on his own needs. A teacher may go to great lengths to promote a positive environment, but the student may not choose appropriate behavior. In Glasser’s theory, when a student misbehaves, the teacher is responsible for when he fails to meet the needs of the student, although as stated in Choice Theory the students chooses his own "total behavior." (Bourbon 1994) Bourbon also argues that a paradox exists between the idea that a student chooses his own behavior but does not use behavior to control his own perceptions. He explains this using the "too hot, too cold, just right" exercise (Bourbon 1994). Imagine a room with an air conditioner and thermostat. A student can walk in and change the setting if too hot or too cold, until the room feels just right. But what happens when 29 other students have different perceptions of what is "just right" in the room? It is impossible, Bourbon argues, to create a classroom that meets the needs of every individual student simultaneously, because students have different perceptions of the same physical conditions.