Group Flashcards
Focal Conflict Theory - cite and define
Whitaker and Lieberman (1964)
- Groups form to reduce anxiety
- There is an internal struggle between distrubing motive and reactive motive
- Working through the focal conflict helps members learn.
Distrubing Motive
Members, individually and collectively, experience covert wishes. These disturbing motives include what members want to say or do in the group in the here-and-now. Disturbing motives persist until they are expressed.
Reactive Motive
As members consider acting on their disturbing motives, they confront anxieties or fears about the consequences of doing so. These reactive motives usually prevent members from acting on their wishes. Because reactive motives are avoided, they have a continuous effect on interaction – until they are confronted by group members.
Focal Conflict
A conflict is then experienced between wanting to act on the wish (disturbing motive) and the feared consequences (reactive motive). This conflict is the group focal conflict.
Focal conflicts invariably cause anxiety.
Solutions
In order to eliminate the anxiety caused by a focal conflict, group members develop solutions. Solutions are agreements members achieve about how to deal with the anxiety caused by a focal conflict. Solutions are successful if they lower anxiety and all members agree to them and act accordingly.
Enabling Solutions
Enabling solutions allow members to express disturbing motives and confront reactive motives. Enabling solutions initially increase anxiety but eventually lower anxiety as fears are confronted (E.g., fears of rejection are lowered once members are able to discuss them).
Restrictive Solutions
Restrictive solutions allow members to avoid expressing disturbing and reactive motives. Restrictive solutions immediately lower anxiety because they avoid focal conflicts. However, they eventually fail and have to be renegotiated because disturbing motives and reactive motives (fears) persist.
Solutional Conflict
Solutional conflict occurs when members disagree over how best to deal with a focal conflict. This conflict takes place between subgroups or between a member and the rest of the group.
**Members develop solutions in order to maintain equilibrium**
Themes in Focal Conflict Theory
All groups develop a theme. Themes are a series of focal conflicts in which the disturbing motives are closely related. A theme emerges when members have a common desire to avoid the anxiety associated with a particular disturbing motive.
Deviant Member
is one who does not go along with the solution that other group members have developed. That member can become a scapegoat.
Goals in Focal Conflict
- Challenge restrictive personal solutions that limit interpersonal effectiveness
- Develop more effective personal solutions
- Develop more complementary self-perceptions
- Develop a greater tolerance for anxiety
- Develop greater flexibility in interpersonal interactions
Necessary conditions for change
in Focal Conflict
- Members must encounter focal conflicts that resonate with their concerns.
- Members must participate in interactions in which their personal solutions do not allow
- them to escape anxiety or meet interpersonal needs.
- Members must have the opportunity to learn about alternative solutions.
- Members who do not experience these conditions will not be successful.
Role of the Therapist in Focal Conflict
- Develop a group environment in which members feel safe enough to take risks and self-disclose.
- Attempt to develop a group culture dominated by enabling solutions.
- Challenge restrictive solutions when members are considering them.
- Frustrate restrictive solutions -
- Persistently direct members to address the disturbing and/or the reactive motive.
- Suggest alternative enabling solutions when restrictive solutions are operating.
- Maintain a level of anxiety that energizes interaction.
- Allow “escape hatch solutions” when anxiety is immobilizing or persists at a high level.
- Help members find alternative solutions to their habitual restrictive personal solutions.
- Group composition is critical. Composition should consider potential members’ tolerance for anxiety. Compose groups with members who have a similar tolerance for anxiety.
- Intervene with individuals to influence the group and with the group to influence individuals.
Diagram of Focal Conflict
Group Development Theory
Tuckman (1965)
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning