Scriptapedia/Uses, Misuses and Misunderstanding of GMB Scripts

Uses of Scripts

 * To design a behavioral protocol for small group exercises in GMB workshops
 * The protocols can then be compared to what actually happened as a way to assess fidelity.
 * To use as a teaching tool in GMB
 * To document what happened in a small group process

Misuses and Misunderstandings of Scripts (Hovmand et. al., 2011)

 * Practitioners following scripts mechanistically
 * Response: Scripts are not a substitute for the non-specific effects of the “right attitude”
 * Scripts are too reductionistic and take the art out of GMB
 * Response 1: Reducing discretion is precisely the point; discretion and improvisation “cuts both ways”
 * Response 2: There is still a lot of room for professional judgment and improvisation (going off script only makes sense if you have a script)
 * Practitioners failing to adapt to local contexts, expectations, etc.