DISQUALIFICATION:

Disqualification is the most sophisticated form of disconfirmation. It looks like you are responding to the other, because you are answering her. But, your answer is crafted so you don’t really respond to the person or their statements. Most people use disqualification when they are in a situation where they have to respond in some form but do not want to respond to the other (an avoidance-avoidance situation).

Receiver denies that they are personally responding (he answers "for" someone else)

Receiver avoids addressing the other person as a unique individual (she talks about a group the person belongs to rather than the person)

Receiver gives intentionally contradictory and/or unclear response that is so confusing the hearer has no clue how to interpret the message (he babbles or gets sarcastic)

Receiver responds to a different message than the one presented (she completely changes topic or answers an unasked question).

Here, Dr. White from the previous example uses Disqualification:

• Deny Receiver: "Amy, university policy is clear – grades on exams can’t be changed after the exam unless for error."
• Deny Receiver: "Most students were displeased with their grades on this test."
• Deny Content:
  • "Oh, I’m sure you’re really upset about this (said sarcastically)." (mixed message)
  • "The grade’s not really that, well, wait, it might be a little lower, but not really. . ." (incoherent)
• Denies Context: "Did you see the game this weekend, really something wasn’t it?"