The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy
About: This article is published in The Family Coordinator.The article was published on 1971-04-01. It has received 3765 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Group psychotherapy.
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01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: This paper examined published research on small-group development done in the last ten years that would constitute an empirical test of Tuckman's (1965) hypothesis that groups go through the stages of "forming," "storming," "norming," and "performing".
Abstract: The purpose of this review was to examine published research on small-group development done in the last ten years that would constitute an empirical test of Tuckman's (1965) hypothesis that groups go through the stages of "forming," "storming," "norming," and "performing." Of the twenty-two studies reviewed, only one set out to directly test this hypothesis, although many of the others could be related to it. Following a review of these studies, a fifth stage, "adjourning," was added to the hypothesis, and more empirical work was recommended.
1,977 citations
TL;DR: Evidence is found consistent with the hypotheses that the relationship between receiving an apology from and forgiving one's offender is a function of increased empathy for the offender and that forgiving is uniquely related to conciliatory behavior and avoidance behavior toward the offending partner.
Abstract: Forgiving is a motivational transformation that inclines people to inhibit relationship-destructive responses and to behave constructively toward someone who has behaved destructively toward them. The authors describe a model of forgiveness based on the hypothesis that people forgive others to the extent that they experience empathy for them. Two studies investigated the empathy model of forgiveness. In Study 1, the authors developed measures of empathy and forgiveness. The authors found evidence consistent with the hypotheses that (a) the relationship between receiving an apology from and forgiving one's offender is a function of increased empathy for the offender and (b) that forgiving is uniquely related to conciliatory behavior and avoidance behavior toward the offending partner. In Study 2, the authors conducted an intervention in which empathy was manipulated to examine the empathy-forgiving relationship more closely. Results generally supported the conceptualization of forgiving as a motivational phenomenon and the empathy-forgiving link.
1,441 citations
TL;DR: Objective evidence is provided that a supportive group intervention for patients with metastatic cancer results in psychological benefit and mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this group intervention are explored.
Abstract: • The effects of weekly supportive group meetings for women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were systematically evaluated in a one-year, randomized, prospective outcome study. The groups focused on the problems of terminal illness, including improving relationships with family, friends, and physicians and living as fully as possible in the face of death. We hypothesized that this intervention would lead to improved mood, coping strategies, and self-esteem among those in the treatment group. Eighty-six patients were tested at four-month intervals. The treatment group had significantly lower mooddisturbance scores on the Profile of Mood States scale, had fewer maladaptive coping responses, and were less phobic than the control group. This study provides objective evidence that a supportive group intervention for patients with metastatic cancer results in psychological benefit. Mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this group intervention are explored.
824 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that highly disparate relationships with voices-fear, reassurance, engagement and resistance-reflect vital differences in beliefs about the voices, and how these core beliefs about voices may become a new target for treatment.
Abstract: We offer provisional support for a new cognitive approach to understanding and treating drug-resistant auditory hallucinations in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Study 1 emphasises the relevance of the cognitive model by detailing the behavioural, cognitive and affective responses to persistent voices in 26 patients, demonstrating that highly disparate relationships with voices-fear, reassurance, engagement and resistance-reflect vital differences in beliefs about the voices. All patients viewed their voices as omnipotent and omniscient. However, beliefs about the voice's identity and meaning led to voices being construed as either 'benevolent' or 'malevolent'. Patients provided cogent reasons (evidence) for these beliefs which were not always linked to voice content; indeed in 31% of cases beliefs were incongruous with content, as would be anticipated by a cognitive model. Without fail, voices believed to be malevolent provoked fear and were resisted and those perceived as benevolent were courted. However, in the case of imperative voices, the primary influence on whether commands were obeyed was the severity of the command. Study 2 illustrates how these core beliefs about voices may become a new target for treatment. We describe the application of an adapted version of cognitive therapy (CT) to the treatment of four patients' drug-resistant voices. Where patients were on medication, this was held constant while beliefs about the voices' omnipotence, identity, and purpose were systematically disputed and tested. Large and stable reductions in conviction in these beliefs were reported, and these were associated with reduced distress, increased adaptive behaviour, and unexpectedly, a fall in voice activity. These changes were corroborated by the responsible psychiatrists. Collectively, the cases attest to the promise of CT as a treatment for auditory hallucinations.
777 citations
TL;DR: Support seeking was highest for diseases viewed as stigmatizing and was lowest for less embarrassing but equally devastating disorders, such as heart disease, and implications for social comparison theory and its applications in health care are discussed.
Abstract: More Americans try to change their health behaviors through self-help than through all other forms of professionally designed programs. Mutual support groups, involving little or no cost to participants, have a powerful effect on mental and physical health, yet little is known about patterns of support group participation in health care. What kinds of illness experiences prompt patients to seek each other's company? In an effort to observe social comparison processes with real-world relevance, support group participation was measured for 20 disease categories in 4 metropolitan areas (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas) and on 2 on-line forums. Support seeking was highest for diseases viewed as stigmatizing (e.g., AIDS, alcoholism, breast and prostate cancer) and was lowest for less embarrassing but equally devastating disorders, such as heart disease. The authors discuss implications for social comparison theory and its applications in health care.
728 citations
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123 citations
TL;DR: Patients who in the first 12 meetings achieve high group popularity, or who show high satisfaction with the group, are more apt to show clinical improvement at the end of 50 meetings, suggesting the rationale of therapeutic intervention early in the life of the group.
Abstract: WILL an explanatory session preparing prospective patients increase the efficacy of group therapy? This article describes a controlled research project designed to answer this question. The query springs from many sources. Laboratory and clinical group research has demonstrated the crucial importance of early meetings in shaping the future course of a group. 1 Group norms established early in the life of the group tend to persist, outliving even a complete turnover in the group population. 2 Approximately one third of all patients beginning group therapy in a university outpatient clinic drop out unimproved during the first dozen meetings. 3 Conversely, patients who in the first 12 meetings achieve high group popularity, or who show high satisfaction with the group, are more apt to show clinical improvement at the end of 50 meetings. 4 These observations suggest the rationale of therapeutic intervention early in the life of the group. A recent
106 citations
102 citations
TL;DR: Time and again group therapy outcome has proven to be a quagmire for clinical researchers, with many investigators into the untenable position of conducting short-term follow-up.
Abstract: TIME and again group therapy outcome has proven to be a quagmire for clinical researchers. Reviews of evaluation studies have served primarily to underscore the pitfalls involved, which include not only all those encountered in individual therapy evaluation but several idiosyncratic to group therapy. 1-3 Satisfactory outcome measures have not been developed; numerous studies have indicated that many prepost psychometric tests, of value in individual therapy outcome studies, do not accurately reflect the changes undergone by group therapy patients. 4,5 Often improvement in the group (group maturation, increased cohesiveness) or improvement of the patient's group behavior has been erroneously equated with patient improvement. 6 Clinical studies in which the group therapist evaluates the outcome of his own patients suffer from observer bias. Another obstacle is the high attrition rate in group therapy, which has forced many investigators into the untenable position of conducting short-term follow-up
99 citations
TL;DR: Major findings were: therapists stressed changes in symptomatic relief and improvement in social relationships, whereas patients focused on self-understanding and self-confidence, and expectancy and conceptual disparities about therapy between patient and therapist should be minded to maximize treatment benefits.
Abstract: This study analyzed the perceptions of both patients and their psychotherapists at the close of psychotherapy as to changes taking place and ideas about what was helpful and not helpful. The participants consisted of 63 outpatients and 28 psychotherapi sts. Data were secured by administering an open-end questionnaire. Major findings and conclusions were: (a) therapists stressed changes in symptomatic relief and improvement in social relationships, whereas patients focused on self-understanding and self-confidence; (b) patients underlined the opportunity to talk over problems and the "human" characteristics of the psychotherapist as helpful, and therapists highlighted therapeutic technique and support to the patient as most beneficial; (c) expectancy and conceptual disparities about therapy between patient and therapist should be minded to maximize treatment benefits. Despite the contribution of various investigators (among others, Bollard & Mowrer, 1953; Fiedler, 1953; Heine, 1953; Leary & Gill, 1959; Robbing & Wallerstein, 1959; Rogers, 1961; Strupp, 1960), agreement concerning process aspects and recognizable and predictable effects of psychotherapy is still lacking. Evaluation of psychotherapy is undoubtedly a complex and difficult area of research. Numerous approaches have been attempted (Rubinstein & Parloff, 1959; Zax & Klein, 1960), yet the authors have been impressed by the meager heed given to the patient's viewpoint of what happens in psychotherapy and its influence on him. Most reported studies have ruddered psychotherapeutic understanding and explanation mainly to the therapist's grasp. The direct, phenomenological path (Elaine & McArthur, 1958; Board, 1959; Chance, 1959; Lipkin, 1948) has been treated with some success notwithstanding a number of obstacles, i.e., (a) neither patient nor therapist can be a completely unbiased observer, each varying in what he can and will report, (b) the mutual desire for success, wish to please the therapist, and the "hello-goodbye" effect of Hathaway (1948), may unwittingly affect responses, (c) limited consonance may exist between what either patient or therapist states about occurring changes and actual 1A condensed version of this paper was presented at the 1962 American Psychological Association annual convention in St. Louis.
98 citations