16
Groups 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
Sources of
Change
Effectiveness
Therapeutic
groups
Universality &
hope
Empirical
support
Interpersonal
learning groups
Social learning
Cautions
Support groups
Cohesion
The value of
groups
Disclosure &
catharsis
Altruism
Insight
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.”
Basic “types” of
therapeutic groups
Therapeutic groups
Interpersonal learning
groups
Support groups (mutual
help groups)
Therapeutic
groups
Group Psychoanalysis
Gestalt Groups
Types
Psychodrama
Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy groups
Group Psychoanalysis
The First Committee Of The Vienna
Psychoanalytical Society
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
Corrective

into recapitulation
unconscious
of
conflicts
early experiences
of relationships
 Transference
Catharsis
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
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
Psychodrama
involves acting out
experiences in the
group, role-playing,
and imitation
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).
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
Purpose: To reduce the negative
mental health consequences of
organizational-level or
community-level trauma
Processes: Group-level
Process
debriefing
groups (or
critical incident
stress debriefing
groups, or
trauma/disaster
groups)
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.
Support groups
Problem-specific: deal with a
specific problem or concern, such
as alcohol, physical illness
Perspective-based:
Often adopt a
particular
“perspective” on the
issue and its causes
(e.g., AA)
Autonomous: little
or no fee is charged
for membership, and
leaders are volunteers
rather than
professionals
Interpersonal:
members establish
strong ties to each
other
Communal: group
stresses community
and sharing
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
Sources of Therapeutic
Effectiveness
Change
Factors
Therapeutic
groups
Universality &
hope
Interpersonal
learning groups
Social learning
Support groups
Cohesion
Disclosure &
catharsis
Altruism
Insight
Therapeutic
Factors
Universality
and Hope
• Groups (and social comparison) convince
members of the universality of their
problems, elevate their levels of hope, and
instigate a shared, group-level identity.
Social
Learning
• Groups facilitate observational
learning (modeling of behaviors),
interpersonal feedback, and guidance
(direct instruction).
Group
Cohesion
• Cohesion increases membership
retention, improves communication,
and increases influence of the group
on the individual.
Therapeutic
Factors
Self-disclosure
• Groups become more intimate as
members reveal private information
about themselves.
Catharsis
• In supportive, high-trust groups,
members can vent their strong, and
this may reduce their stress.
Altruism
• Members experience increased selfconfidence when they help others and
they gain insight into their personal
qualities.
Sources of
Change
Cohesion is generally
viewed as a necessary
condition for a successful
thereapeutic group
 However, members most
value universality,
interpersonal learning,
cohesion/support, and
insight

Group
Approaches
Sources of
Change
Evidence-based
Treatments (EBTs)
• Clinical procedures whose effectiveness
has been documented through objective,
scientifically rigorous research
Are Group Treatments EBTs?
• Research indicates that group
approaches to treatment are generally as
effective, if not more effective, than
individual approaches.
Effectiveness
Empirical
support
Cautions
The value of
groups
Source: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/11/power.aspx
Empirical
support
Cautions
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 consistent with both the emic and etic perspective of a cultural context
Drop-outs
(premature
terminations,
casualities
(individuals
harmed by the
experience, and
overhelping
occur in groups,
but the rates are
known to be
relatively low
The value of
groups
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 themselves 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
Group
Approaches
Sources of
Change
Effectiveness
Therapeutic
groups
Universality &
hope
Empirical
support
Interpersonal
learning groups
Social learning
Cautions
Support groups
Cohesion
The value of
groups
Disclosure &
catharsis
Altruism
Insight
Case: The Bus Group
(Turner, A. L., 2000).