16 groups and change the usefulness of groups is nowhere more apparent than when groups are used to...
TRANSCRIPT
16Groups and
Change
The usefulness of groups is nowhere more apparent than when groups are used to help their members change. Groups, by their very nature, provide their members with information, support, and guidance, and so many personal and interpersonal problems can be resolved when confronted in a group rather than alone. As Lewin’s Law suggests, changing people one by one is difficult; changing them when they are part of a group is easier.
What are some of the ways that groups are used to help members change?
How do groups promote change?
How effective are groups in bringing about change?
Group Approaches
Therapeutic groups
Interpersonal learning groupsSupport groups
Sources of Change
Universality & hope
Social learning
Cohesion
Disclosure & catharsis
Altruism
Insight
Effectiveness
Empirical support
Cautions
The value of groups
Case: The Bus Group(Turner, A. L., 2000).
Lewin’s Law of Change
“It is usually easier to change individuals formed into a group than to change any of them separately.”
Therapeutic groups
Interpersonal learning groups
Support groups (mutual help groups)
Basic “types” of therapeutic groups
Group Psychoanalysis
Gestalt Groups
Psychodrama
Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy groups
Therapeutic groups
Types
Group Psychoanalysis
Freud’s discussed group processes in his book Group Psychology and the Analysis of Ego
Freud did not conduct therapy in groups, but other analysts did
Insight into unconscious conflicts
Transference of relationships to group members and therapist
[Source: Berlin, 1922 Becker Maas, Library of Congress (124),(LC-USZ62-119779)]From Left to Right: Otto Rank, Sigmund Freud, Karl Abraham, Max Eitingon, Sàndor Ferenczi, Ernest Jones, Hans Sachs
The First Committee Of The Vienna Psychoanalytical Society
Corrective recapitulation of early experiences
Catharsis
Gestalt Group Psychotherapy
Gestalt group therapy is based on the work of Fritz Perls, who maintained people tend to fail to accept and integrate their experiences, thoughts, and emotions
The Goal: To achieve phenomenological unity (a gestalt)
When conducted in groups, Gestalt therapy makes use of exercises and role‑playing methods (e.g., the hot seat, empty seat).
Psychodrama
Jacob Moreno developed this method; he also explored early uses of social network analysis (sociometry) and founded the journal Sociometry (now titled Social Psychology Quarterly).
Psychodrama involves acting out experiences in the group, role-playing, and imitation
Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy
The most widely used method, interpersonal group therapy, uses the group as a “social microcosm” to help members learn about how they influence others and how others influence them.
Irvin Yalom’s interactive process groups, for example, emphasize analysis of ongoing interactions in the group (a “here and now” orientation) by all members
Cognitive‑behavioral therapy groups
Cognitive-behavior group therapy uses of behavioral methods developed in individual treatment settings with groups.
Often used for more specific issues, such as phobias, depression, drug addiction, sexual offenses, and so on.
Key Components:
Behavioral contracts, modeling, behavior rehearsal, feedback
Process debriefing groups (or
critical incident stress
debriefing groups, or
trauma/disaster groups)
Process Debriefing Groups
Purpose: To reduce the negative mental health consequences of organizational-level or community-level trauma
Processes: Group-level therapeutic coping processes, such as collective processing of experiences and reaffirmation of connections to survivors.
Effectiveness: The effectiveness of these interventions is not yet known
Interpersonal learning groups
Early Forms
• T-groups (Lewin)
• Encounter groups
• Sensitivity training groups
Contemporary Approaches
• Experiential learning
• Skill-building retreats
• Structured training groups
Workshops, seminars, retreats, focusing on specific interpersonal skills or problems, often combine a group experience with analysis and reflection.
Problem-specific: deal with a specific problem or
concern, such as alcohol, physical illness
Interpersonal: members
establish strong ties to each
other
Communal: group stresses community and
sharing
Autonomous: little or no fee is charged for
membership, and leaders are
volunteers rather than professionals
Perspective-based: Often adopt
a particular “perspective” on the issue and its causes (e.g., AA)
Support groups
Varieties of Support (Mutual help) Groups
Many support groups meet online, relying on computer-based communication to make connections among members and provide information.
Group Approaches
Therapeutic groups
Interpersonal learning groupsSupport groups
Sources of Change
Universality & hope
Social learning
Cohesion
Disclosure & catharsis
Altruism
Insight
EffectivenessTherapeutic Factors
• Groups (and social comparison) convince members of the universality of their problems, elevate their levels of hope, and instigate a shared, group-level identity.
Universality and Hope
• Groups facilitate observational learning (modeling of behaviors), interpersonal feedback, and guidance (direct instruction).
Social Learning
• Cohesion increases membership retention, improves communication, and increases influence of the group on the individual.
Group Cohesion
Therapeutic Factors
• Groups become more intimate as members reveal private information about themselves.
Self-disclosure
• In supportive, high-trust groups, members can vent their strong, and this may reduce their stress.
Catharsis
• Members experience increased self-confidence when they help others and they gain insight into their personal qualities.
Altruism
Therapeutic Factors
Cohesion is generally viewed as a necessary condition for a successful thereapeutic group
However, members most value universality, interpersonal learning, cohesion/support, and insight
Sources of Change
Group Approaches
Sources of Change Effectiveness
Empirical support
Cautions
The value of groups
• Clinical procedures whose effectiveness has been documented through objective, scientifically rigorous research
Evidence-based Treatments (EBTs)
• Research indicates that group approaches to treatment are generally as effective, if not more effective, than individual approaches.
Are Group Treatments EBTs?
Meta-analytic reviews are generally positive (Burlingame)
Lieberman, Yalom, & Miles‘ classic study supported various methods
Participants in many types of therapies rate groups approaches positively
Interventions are more effective if consis-tent with both the emic and etic perspec-tive of a cultural context
Empirical support
Drop-outs (premature terminations, casualities (individuals harmed by the experience, and overhelping occur in groups, but the rates are known to be relatively low
Cautions
Groups help their members define and confirm their values, beliefs, and identities. When individuals are beset by problems and uncertainties, groups offer reassurance, security, support, and assistance. Groups are places where people can learn new social skills and discover things about them-selves and others.
Group approaches are generally effective, but they do not work for everyone or for all types of psychological problems.
Groups, too, can produce changes in members when other approaches have failed
The value of groups