The Social Psychology of Groups. J. W Thibaut & H. H. Kelley. New York: alley, 1959. The team of Thibaut and Kelley goes back to 1946 when, after serving in different units of the armed services psychology program, the authors joined the Research Center for Group Dynamics, first at M.LT and then at the University of Michigan. Their continued association eventuated in appointments as fellows at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, 19561957. It is during these years that their collaboration resulted in the publication of The Social Psychology of Groups. The book was designed to "bring order and coherence to present-day research in interpersonal relations and group functioning." To accomplish this aim, the authors introduced, defined, and illustrated basic concepts in an effort to explain the simplest of social phenomena, the two-person relationship. These basic principles and concepts were then employed to illuminate larger problems and more complex social relationships and to examine the significance of such concepts as roles, norm, power, group cohesiveness, and status. The lasting legacy of this book is derived from the fact that the concepts and principles discussed therein serve as a foundation for one of the dominant conceptual frameworks in the field of family studies today-the social exchange framework. Specifically, much of our contemporary thinking about the process of interpersonal attraction and about how individuals evaluate their close relationships has been influenced by the theory and concepts introduced in The Social Psychology of Groups. Today, as a result of Thibaut and Kelley, we think of interpersonal attraction as resulting from the unique valence of driving and restraining forces, rewards and costs, subjectively thought to be available from a specific relationship and its competing alternatives. We understand, as well, that relationships are evaluated through complex and subjectively based comparative processes. As a result, when we think about assessing the degree to which individuals are satisfied with their relationships, we take into consideration the fact that individuals differ in terms of the importance they attribute to different aspects of a relationship (e.g., financial security, sexual fulfillment, companionship). We also take into consideration the fact that individuals differ in terms of the levels of rewards and costs that they believe are realistically obtainable and deserved from a relationship. In addition, as a result of Thibaut and Kelley's theoretical focus on the concept of dependence and the interrelationship between attraction and dependence, there has evolved within the field of family studies a deeper appreciation for the complexities and variability found within relationships. Individuals are dependent on their relationships, according to Thibaut and Kelley, when the outcomes derived from the existing relationship exceed those perceived to be available in competing alternatives. Individuals who are highly dependent on their relationships are less likely to act to end their relationships. This dependence and the stability it engenders may or may not be voluntary, depending on the degree to which individuals are attracted to and satisfied with their relationships. When individuals are both attracted to and dependent on their relationships, they can be thought of as voluntarily participating in their relationship. That is, they are likely to commit themselves to the partner and relationship and actively work for its continuance. Thibaut and Kelley termed those relationships characterized by low levels of satisfaction and high levels of dependence "nonvoluntary relationships. …

The Social Psychology of Groups

Health outcomes of bereavement.

SummaryIn this report, recommendations for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders are presented, based on available randomized, placebo-or comparator-controlled

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World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for the Pharmacological Treatment of Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders – First Revision

Sources of the Self

Across 5 decades, hundreds of randomized trials have tested psychological therapies for youth internalizing (anxiety, depression) and externalizing (misconduct, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) disorders and problems. Since the last broad-based youth meta-analysis in 1995, the number of trials has almost tripled and data-analytic methods have been refined. We applied these methods to the expanded study pool (447 studies; 30,431 youths), synthesizing 50 years of findings and identifying implications for research and practice. We assessed overall effect size (ES) and moderator effects using multilevel modeling to address ES dependency that is common, but typically not modeled, in meta-analyses. Mean posttreatment ES was 0.46; the probability that a youth in the treatment condition would fare better than a youth in the control condition was 63%. Effects varied according to multiple moderators, including the problem targeted in treatment: Mean ES at posttreatment was strongest for anxiety (0.61), weakest for depression (0.29), and nonsignificant for multiproblem treatment (0.15). ESs differed across control conditions, with "usual care" emerging as a potent comparison condition, and across informants, highlighting the need to obtain and integrate multiple perspectives on outcome. Effects of therapy type varied by informant; only youth-focused behavioral therapies (including cognitive-behavioral therapy) showed similar and robust effects across youth, parent, and teacher reports. Effects did not differ for Caucasian versus minority samples, but more diverse samples are needed. The findings underscore the benefits of psychological treatments as well as the need for improved therapies and more representative, informative, and rigorous intervention science. (PsycINFO Database Record

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What five decades of research tells us about the effects of youth psychological therapy: A multilevel meta-analysis and implications for science and practice.

BACKGROUND: Anger and its expression represent a major public health problem for children and adolescents today. Prevalence reports show that anger-related problems such as oppositional behavior, verbal and physical aggression, and violence are some of the more common reasons children are referred for mental health services. METHODS: An extensive review of the literature was conducted using the following online search engines: Cochrane, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PubMed. Published and unpublished articles that met the following criteria were included in the review: (a) experimental or quasi-experimental research designs; (b) nonpharmacologic, therapy-based interventions; and (c) study participants between 5 and 17 years of age. RESULTS: Cognitive-behavioral and skills-based approaches are the most widely studied and empirically validated treatments for anger and aggression in youth. Commonly used therapeutic techniques include affective education, relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving skills, social skills training, and conflict resolution. These techniques, tailored to the individual child's and/or family's needs, can foster the development of more adaptive and prosocial behavior. Language: en

Current Approaches to the Assessment and Management of Anger and Aggression in Youth: A Review

This review examines the research on ecologic factors that may contribute to or lessen the likelihood of inpatient unit violence. Understanding these factors can provide psychiatric inpatient unit staff with valuable therapeutic relational and cultural strategies to decrease violence. International and US studies from OVID Medline, CINAHL, and PsycInfo that evaluated aggression and violence on psychiatric inpatient units between 1983 and 2008 were included in this review. The review revealed that violence results from the complex interactions among the patient, staff, and culture of the specific unit. Inpatient psychiatric staff can decrease the potential for violence by using therapeutic relationship strategies such as using good communication skills, advocating for clients, being available, having strong clinical assessment skills, providing patient education, and collaborating with patients in treatment planning. Cultural improvements include providing meaningful patient activities and appropriate levels of stimulation and unit staffing.

A Review of Ecological Factors Affecting Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Violence: Implications for Relational and Unit Cultural Improvements

TOPIC: Decreasing the risk of complicated bereavement and future psychiatric disorders in children.

PURPOSE: This literature will determine what major factors influence a child's response to death and to understand how children react to the death of a parent at different developmental stages. It will evaluate the following:

a) What are children's emotional responses to the death of a parent?
b) How can a surviving parent help the grieving child complete the tasks of grieving?
c) What skills are important for a parent to learn in order to help the grieving child through the tasks of grieving and
d) How can mental health providers help the grieving family and the grieving child?


SOURCES: Relevant literature from child psychiatry, child psychology, and nursing.

CONCLUSIONS: The death of a parent is a major stressful event for children and their families. This traumatic event can bring serious psychological and social distress to bereaved children and their families. Children who are not supported in the early phases of grieving can develop serious emotional and behavioral problems that can lead to the development of some major psychiatric disorders. Providing early prevention support programs for surviving parents and bereaved children can help both the parents and the children adapt to their losses. These structured programs can decrease the risk of complicated grief in bereaved families. More research studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of these early prevention program interventions.

Decreasing the risk of complicated bereavement and future psychiatric disorders in children.

Purpose:  To determine correlates of depression in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Methods:  Data on 117 adolescents participating in a longitudinal study (72 F, 45 M; 95 W; age = 14.3 ± 2.0 yr; duration = 6.3 ± 3.7) were collected with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Diabetes Family Behavior Scale (DFBS), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES), and chart review at study entry and 2-year follow-up.

Results:  Fifteen per cent of adolescents in this sample demonstrated depressive symptoms (CDI > 13) at study entry and 10% at 2 yr follow-up. Adolescents aged 14.1–16 yr and those with diabetes > 10 yr demonstrated the highest rates. When demographic/clinical variables were controlled, the DFBS warmth-caring subscale (p = 0.001) and the FACES adaptability subscale (p = 0.005), but not DFBS guidance-control (p = 0.635), contributed significantly to the explained variance in depressive symptoms (R2 = 0.27) at study entry. At 2 yr follow-up, study entry CDI scores were the only significant predictor of depressive symptoms (R2 = 0.40). By 2 yr, adolescents with depressive symptoms had significantly higher HbA1c than those without (p = 0.03).

Conclusion:  The prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes coupled with the potential impact of depressive symptoms on metabolic control suggest the need for early diagnosis and treatment. Greater attention to psychosocial outcomes of youth, family functioning, and the potential burden of diabetes over time to youth/families is indicated.

Correlates of depressive symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Oppositional, defiant, and disruptive behaviors are common in clinical samples of children with tic disorders. In this study, we sought to evaluate the short-term efficacy of a structured parent tr...

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Vanya Hamrin

Papers

Current Approaches to the Assessment and Management of Anger and Aggression in Youth: A Review

A Review of Ecological Factors Affecting Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Violence: Implications for Relational and Unit Cultural Improvements

Decreasing the risk of complicated bereavement and future psychiatric disorders in children.

Correlates of depressive symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Randomized trial of parent management training in children with tic disorders and disruptive behavior.