Ch 2 Flashcards
Group dynamics
primary affiliation groups
family or peers
exerts greater pressure on individuals (people act different in a group then when alone)
secondary affiliation groups
people least identify
city or confederation
group dynamics
the influence of groups on members
forces within a group
hawthorne effect
changes in behavior as a result of observation and manipulation of conditions in an environment
found that changes in environment are not as important as social factors within a work group
two elements that have major bearing on a groups development (determines dynamic of group)
group content
group process
group content
information within and purpose of the group
actual words, ideas, and information exchanged within a group
large amounts of info in a short time
group process
interactions and relationships among members within the group
**as groups develop, less time generally is spent on content material and more focused in process functions
seven types of group processes
contagion
conflict
anxiety
consensual validation
universality
family reenactment
instillation of hope=
contagion
member behavior elicits group interaction
EX: someone tells sad story, makes others cry
conflict
usually revolve around significant issues in people lives,
anxiety
discomfort in emotions
to cope:
restrictive solution (unhealthy) (changing the subject, attacking someone else, detaching)
enabling solutions (healthier) (revolve around open listening and discussion about anxiety past and present)
consensual validation
checking ones behavior with a group of others
universality
similar feelings shared within the groupn
balance between content and process
must be balanced regardless of type of group conducted
content questions
what do we have to do?
what do we need to do to accomplish our goals?
process questions
who am I? (intrapersonal)
who am I with you? (interpersonal)
who are we together? (the whole group)
focal conflict theory
one way of balancing content and process
key to balancing content and process in psychoeducational groups using focal conflict theory
- creating a safe learning environment
- engaging group members in each others learning
- exploring group members relationship to psychoeducational content
- returning promptly to agreed upon content and content related activities
system
a set of elements standing in interaction with one another
each element in the system is affected by whatever happens to any other element
system is only as strong as its weakest part
systems theory
explains how groups work and group dynamics
group members are always deciding between their needs for differentiating themselves and integrating with others
group leader helps create a balance in above
linear
cause and effect
systematically
circular manner
three ways to asses types of factors most influence certain group situations
studying the research on groups as systems
direct group observation/participation
feedback from outside objective observers
influencing group dynamics
preplanning
group structure
group exercises
group interaction
members roles
preplanning
leaders plan what type if group to conduct
in what setting it should be held
how long it will last
who should be included (subgrouping to keep groups medium sized)
how it will be evaluated
clarity of purpose (what the group is to accomplish)
fit between members goals and group goals, the level of membership commitment, the openness of members to self and others, a commitment to take or support risks, members attitudes towards leadership and authority, and the leaders attitude toward certain member characteristics
(goals, commitment, openness, risk taking, attitudes)
heterogeneous groups
those composed of people with dissimilar backgrounds
can broken members horizons and enliven interpersonal interactions
homogeneous groups
those centered on a presenting problem or similarity in gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or sociocultural background
beneficial in working through specific issues
group structure
refers both to the physical setup of a group and to the interaction of each group member in relation to the group as a whole
physical structure
the arrangement of group members
one of the first factors to consider in setting up a group (has a strong influence)
use the circle format
circle group structure
all members have direct access to one another (adv)
lack of a perceived leader in the structure unless the identified leader is active and direct (disadvantages)
chain group structure
people are positioned or seated along a line (often according to rank in group)
wheel group structure
center spoke (the leader)
through whom all messages go
allows direct communication with leader, but difficulty with communicating with others in group
y group structure
combines the structural elements of the wheel and the chain
there is a perceived leader
theater style group structure
group is seated in lines and rows
cut off from interacting with other members because they are facing the same way
group exercises and activities (14 categories)
written
movement
creative props
arts and crafts
fantasy
common reading
feedback
trust
experiential
moral dilemma
group-decision
touching
rounds
dyads and triads
benefits of group exercises
may generate discussion and participation
may help group focus on particular topic or issue
help shift the focus from one area to another
promote experiential learning
increase the comfort level of participants
verbal intrapersonal
low intensity
EX: group members draw pictures of how they perceive the world and use it to introduce themselves verbally to the group
vernal interpersonal
low intensity
EX: group members divide into small groups and discuss their sibling positions
then group would reassemble and members would talk about how they view the world on past perception
nonverbal intrapersonal
low intensity
EX: body relaxation where leader talk members through relaxing parts of their body
nonverbal interpersonal
EX: members line up from most to least about any concern that is relevant for the group at the moment such as anxiety
group interaction
the way members relate to one another
consists of nonverbal and verbal behaviors and the attitudes that go with them
nonverbal behaviors
make up more than 50% of the messages communicated in social relationships
more honest and less subject to manipulation
four main categories of nonverbal behaviors
body behaviors
interaction with the environment
speech
physical appearance
sociometry
a phenomenological methodology for investigating interpersonal relationships
law of triviality
the time a group spends discussing any issue is in verse proportion to its consequences
role
a dynamic structure within an individual (based on needs, cognitions, and values), which usually comes to life under the influence of social stimuli or defined positions
manifestation of it is based on individuals expectation of self and others and the interaction one has in a. group or situation
roles in a group function in three ways
facilitative/building role
maintenance role
blocking role
faciliatative/building role
one that adds to the functioning of a group in a positive and constructive way
initiators
maintenance role
one that contributes to the social-emotional bonding of members and the groups overall well-being
blocking role
an anti group role
act as aggressors, blockers, dominators, recognition seekers, and self-righteous moralists
four major forms of role difficulties
role collision
role incompatibility
role confusion
role transition
role collision
a conflict exists between the role an individual plays in the outside role and the role expected within the group
role incompatibility
a person is given a role within the group that he or she neither wants nor is comfortable exercising
role confusion
role ambiguity
occurs when a group member simply does not know what role to perform
role transition
a person is expected to assume a different role as the group progresses but does not feel comfortable doing so
positive group variables (curative/therapeutic factors within groups)
member commitment
readiness of members for the group experience
the attractiveness of the group for its members
a feeling of belonging, acceptance, and security
clear communication
curative (therapeutic) factors within groups
Instillation of hope
universality
imparting of information
altruism
corrective recapitulation of the primary family group
development of socializing techniques
imitative behavior
interpersonal learning
cohesiveness
catharsis
existential factors
instillation of hope
assurance that treatment will work
universality
what seems unique is often a similar experience of another group member
imparting of information
instruction about mental health, mental illness, and how to deal with life problems through group discussions
altrusim
sharing experiences and thoughts with others, helping them by giving of ones self, working for the common good
corrective recapitualtion of the primary family group
reliving early familial conflicts correctly and resolving them
development of socializing techniquesn
learning basic social skills
imitative behavior
modeling positive actions of other group members
interpersonal learning
gaining insight and correctively working through past experiences
cohesiveness
the proper therapeutic relationship among groups members, group members and the group leader, and the groups as a whole
catharsis
experiencing and expressing feelings
existential factors
accepting responsibility for ones life in basic isolation from others, recognizing ones own morality and the capriciousness of existence
negative group variables
avoiding conflict
abdicating group responsibilities
anesthetizing to contradictions within the group
becoming narcissistic
avoiding conflict
involves the silencing of members who expose the groups shortcomings or disagree with the majority opinions
narcissistic groups
develop cohesiveness by encouraging hatred of an out-group or by creating an enembt
psychic numbing
occurring in regressive groups
members anesthetize themselves to contradictions in the group
learning group dynamics
videotaping
journaling
outdoor experiences
simulation games for team building
sociometric and learning integration
processing in group work
refers to an activity that helps group members and the group identify, examine, and reflect on their behaviors and what occurred in a group in order to increase understanding, extract meaning, integrate knowledge, and improve their functioning and outcomes
PARS processing model
processing: activity, relationship, self
all effective processing uses this model
three stages: reflecting, understanding, and applying
