Group Dynamics

The 6 developmental stages of a group

Planning, Beginning, Assessment, Middle, Ending, Evaluation

Practice Values

Beliefs related to how we ought or should act/behave. They influence the methods a leader chooses to use in groups. 

Judeo-Christian Values

Emphasis on dignity and worth of people.

Democratic Values

Equality and participation, right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness 

Puritan Ethic Values

People's responsibility for themselves and the role of work.

Social Darwinism

Survival of the strongest/fittest 

Informed Consent

Clear goals and purpose of group with each member.
- Information about group, assessment tools, termination process 
- Risks, costs, timing, sessions 
- Voluntary status of group, expectations of group members 
- Disclosure and confidentiality  
- Times in which confidentiality cannot be maintained: child abuse/neglect, harm to self or others, courts/legal purposes, family or legal guardians 

Formed Groups

Come together through outside influence or interventions.

Natural Groups

Come together spontaneously or naturally.

Treatment Group

Meeting socio-emotional needs of members, mutual aid, support, therapy, education, etc.  

Advantages of Treatment Groups

Empathy, feedback, mutual aid, hope, normalization, practice, resources, role models, solidarity, social support, validation, etc.

Disadvantages of Treatment Groups

Dependency, breaches of confidentiality, harmful responses, balance of participation, etc. 

Task Group

A group created for a larger goal, that may not directly impact each member but the broader community.

Advantages of Task Groups

Free flowing participation, sense of dignity, shared decision making, problem solving, diverse perspectives, etc. 

Disadvantages of Task Groups

Problem-solving takes time, frustration, unappreciated, etc. 

Remedial Model

Designed to restore and rehabilitate group members who are behaving dysfunctionally

Social Goals Model

Social consciousness, social responsibility, informed citizenship, and informed political and social action.

Reciprocal Model

To form a mutual aid system among group members to achieve optimum adaptation and socialization.

Operant Conditioning

B. F. Skinner (1953)

Use of rewards and punishments to influence behaviors.

·        Positive (adds stimulus) – reinforcement: Add pleasant stimulus to increase/maintain behaviour, Punishment: add aversive stimulus to decrease behaviour

·        Negative (remove stimulus) – reinforcement: Remove aversive stimulus to increase/maintain behavior, Punishment: remove pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior

Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

·        First theory of learning through experiments with dogs who learned to salivate at the sound of a bell.

       Watson and Little Albert Experiment

·        Albert (child) was conditioned to be fearful of rats and anything that looked remotely similar (stimulus generalization)

Which theory relates to learning through observation?

Social Learning Theory

Field Theory

How members connect, communicate, and influence each other.

- A group has a living space, and it has movement. It attempts to accomplish group tasks and goals by facing hurdles in the movement.

- Members will not change behavior unless they see their behavior as others see them

Autocratic leadership

Do “x” – coach makes all the decisions.

Laissez Faire leadership

Do x or y as you see fit- limited input from coach.

Democratic leadership

Which is best x or y – shared decisions making with the coach.

Social Exchange Theory

The theory of work that focuses on how members influence each other in social interactions.

·        When people interact in groups, each attempts to behave in a way that will maximize rewards and minimize punishments.

·        Group members initiate interactions because the social exchanges provide them with something of value, such as approval.

Strengths-Based Approach

Focusing on client’s strengths, not what they lack.

The 6 Primary purposes for treatment groups

Support- leader/facilitator, emotional bonds

Education- learning new skills, structured 

Growth- self-improvement, self-disclosure 

Therapy- remediation and rehabilitation, expert, individualization, planning, intake

Socialization- learning to socialize, games and activities, role playing, relationship building

Self-help- led by those with personal experience, available online, open membership, routine/procedure 

Casework vs Groupwork

- Settlement houses versus charity organizations 
- Caseworks in charity organizations- psychodynamic approach, concrete resources 
- Group work in settlement houses- program activities, group discussions 
- Members versus clients 
- Shared interaction and decision making 
- Emphasis on process- possibilities within group 
- Enjoyment and socialization as well as problem-solving 

The 4 Elements of Group Dynamics

1.Communication and interaction patterns

2. Social integration and influence

3. Cohesion

4. Group culture.  

Positive Effects of Cohesion

1. Satisfaction with the group experience.

2. Willingness to take responsibility.

3. Greater goal attainment and commitment

4. High level of attendance, fewer dropouts, longer length of participation.

Subgroup

A group within a group.

Selective perception

Screening to prevent particular messages from being coded

Third ear

Listening carefully to how a message may affect another group member; listening for deeper meaning than what is said in words.  

Maypole

when the leader is the central figure and communication occurs from the leader to member and from member to leader only 

Round Robin 

when members take turns talking 

Hot Seat

When there is an extended back-and-forth between the leader and one member as the other members watch

Free Floating

When all members take responsibility for communicating, taking into consideration their ability to contribute meaningfully to the particular topic 

Roles

Defines a set of behaviours that are expected of someone who holds a particular status.

Status hierarchies

low = disruptive, high = conform to rules 

Group culture - levels of culture

1. Symbols and rituals - ex. AA Groups introduce group members with name and addiction 
2. The way members interact with each other - ex. Peer Support groups communicate openly from member to member 
3. Core beliefs, ideologies, and values held in common - ex. Many groups value accountability 

Reasons for members attraction to a group

1. The need for belonging, recognition and security 

2. The resources and prestige available through group participation 

3. Expectations of the benefits of the group 

4. Good group experience compared to past experiences 

Designated leaders

The expert, you. 

Indigenous leaders

Leaders that emerge in the group 

Attributed power

Perception of power among group members and others outside the group 

Actual power

- Connection power- connecting others 
- Expert power- knowledge and skills 
- Information power- having useful information 
- Legitimate power- position of authority  
- Identification power- being liked and admired 
- Reward power- ability to give rewards 
- Coercive power- being able to deny resources 

Methods of sharing power

- Enable members to share their story 
- Affirm and validate  
- Focus on coping skills, resilience, strengths 
- Foster an atmosphere of trust   
- Encourage member-to-member rather than member-to-leader communication 

Transformational leadership

Causes change in persons and systems, can inspire positive change 

Interactional model of group leadership:

- Empirical findings of leadership are used 
- Leadership depends on: 
- Purpose of the group 
- Type of problem 
- The environment 
- Physical setting, agency and organization, social environment 
- The group as a whole: size and physical arrangements, time limits, group dynamics, open and closed membership, stages of group development 
- The group members 
- Members' characteristics 
- Extent of participation 
- The group leader 
- Power base; skill level 
- Personality 
- Service technology 

Group leadership skills

- Facilitating group processes:
- Attending and responding to others 
- Expressing self 
- Focusing group communication 
- Making group processes explicit 
- Clarifying content 
- Cuing, blocking and guiding interaction 
- Data gathering and assessment 
- Identifying thoughts, feelings, and behaviors 
- Requesting information, questioning, and probing 
- Summarizing and partializing 
- Synthesizing thoughts, feelings and actions 
- Analyzing information 
- Action 
- Supporting 
- Reframing and redefining 
- Linking members' communications 
- Directing 
- Giving advice, suggestions, instructions 
- Providing resources 
- Disclosure 
- Modeling, role playing, rehearsing and coaching 
- Confronting 
- Resolving Conflicts 

Co leadership benefits

- Source of support 
- Feedback and professional development 
- Training for inexperienced leaders 
- Communication, interactions, problem-solving 
- Assistance during therapeutic interventions 
- Help setting limits and structuring the group 

Co leadership disadvantages

- More expensive 
- Need to coordinate planning between meetings 
- Need to act as models  
- Conflict and tension can occur between seasoned and new leaders 
- Conflict can negatively affect group outcomes.