Group Process Midterm

Major characteristics of a group

Identifiable leader, members, and meeting time/ space. Dynamic interaction among members, common goal, proper relationship between size/ function, dependence of volition and consent, and a capacity for self-determination

Yalom's Therapeutic Factors

Instillation of hope, imparting of information, altruism, development of socializing techniques, imitative behavior, interpersonal learning, and cohesiveness

Interpersonal learning

People learn from interactions with others, not from being told how to interact with others. If there is no interaction in the group there will be no interpersonal learning.

Why OTs use groups

Offer occupation-based experiences that are reality-oriented, naturally provide feedback/support, groups are a mechanism fro promoting change and growth, can be useful context for evaluation, provide opportunity to deal with real-life issues which can enhance occupational performance in fulfilling social demands

Content

The work or task done during the time that the group meets. Includes the activity and what is said. Content is chosen prior to the group and should be decided according to the group's needs and desires

Process

The way that things are said and done and how the groups goals will be accomplished. Directed by the leader.

Group structure

Organization and procedures- what is first, last, etc. The amount of structure will vary but all have at least basic structure.

Group context

Historic and environmental context

Group Climate

Physical, interpersonal, or external forces that impact the experience of the group members, Safety, mutual respect, interaction, etc

Group composition

Make up of the group. Open or closed groups, voluntary or involuntary, the reason for meeting

Group norms

Seating arrangements and pattern of interaction that are not explicit but become part of the expectations. Can help or hurt a group

Group Cohesiveness

Intensity of feeling toward fellow group members and membership in the group

Group maturity

The group is "mature" when group members are able to balance their own needs with the needs of the group

Group format

How groups are presented and how they meed the various needs of members

Group Size

Dependent on multiple factors such as the goals, purpose, and desired process.

Developmental approach

Need to be considered when designing all groups. Levels are defined by points of growth, crisis, or conflict that need to be resolved. Includes group development.

Humanistic approach

Focused on tapping into humanity and facilitating growth, self-development, and healing through belonging and shared experience. Often use altruism or helping others

Psychodynamic approach

Focus on insight into the underlying processes behind behavior and thought. Why do people choose to do things

Behavioral cognitive approach

Recognize the automatic thought and act differently. Problem solving, conditioning/ development of habits, etc

Sensory Motor approaches

Include various FOR that address motor, sensory, perceptual, or cognitive changes that are a result of developmental or acquired conditions affecting the brain. Principles can be applied when planning activities.

Allen's cognitive disabilities approach

Applied when there is a need to measure and monitor problem-solving ability and safety during performance tasks. Use assessment to combine people at the same level

Ecology of human performance

Ecology is defined as the transaction between people and their contexts/ environment. Focuses on different contexts and environments and has five basic assumptions

Ecology of human performance four contexts

Personal, cultural, temporal, and virtual

Ecology of human performance two environments

Social and physical

Ecology of human performance basic assumptions

There is a dynamic relationship between person and tasks and contexts, environment is a factor in performance, OT promotes self-determination and inclusion, environment and person are constantly changing which requires adaptation, and independence is achieved when wants and needs are satisfied.

Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP)

Performance defined as a dynamic experience of a person engaged in purposeful activities and tasks in the environment. Four step process including narrative, assessment of occupational performance, intervention, and determining outcomes. The environment is considered part of the performance.

MOHO

Based on the assumption that people are open systems that interact with their environment.

Types of OT groups

Growth, social context, activity, and functional groups

Growth group

Aimed at increasing an individual's sensitivity to feelings or enhancing members' ability to help themselves through the power of the group. OT can engage in activities people fear or feel they cannot do to explore alternatives and process the experience.

Social systems group

Designed to help participants learn about process and dynamics of group participation through a collective task experience. OT can use work situations, friends, and roles.

Activity groups

Groups that center around an activity or task chosen to direct learning or maintain occupational performance. We are not teaching the activity but are using it to address functional skills or limitations

Functional groups

Designed to include purposeful activity and meaningful occupation in the process and dynamics of group intervention

OT group intervention examples

Reminiscence, leisure, sensorimotor, energy conservation, psychoeducational, social skills, or ADL group.

Reminiscence group

Maintain, support, preserve past occupational interests and abilities by participating in past meaningful activities

Leisure group

Opportunity to explore and participate in leisure activities in order to promote increased occupational balance

Sensorimotor group

Facilitate adaptive means and engagement. Common to address neurological or cognitive dysfunction

Energy conservation group

Health promotion to reduce intensity of disease or to prevent secondary conditions

Psychoeducational groups

Enhancing clients capacity for health management through education

Social skills group

Social participation. Help members develop social interaction skills and learn from one another

ADL group

Establish, remediate, and restore skills

Coles seven steps

Introduction, activity, sharing, processing, generalizing, application, summary/wrap up

Introduction

Leader introduces group, members are introduced as needed, and a warm-up activity. Sets the mood for the group.

Activity & Sharing

Steps can be considered together. Activity is the primary method or mode to meet the goals. Sharing is processing the end product

Processing

Members are given the opportunity to speak and think about their experience with the group activity

Generalizing

Leader considers the participation and responses of the group and pulls together general takeaways.

Application

Takes the key concepts from the summary and helps the members apply this to their real lives

Summary/ wrap up

Important part to bring closure and review of goals to the group

Majority of group development theories believe in these stages

groups require a period for getting to know members, develop strategies to relate with one another, rework in the presence of challenges or stress, experience loss of motivation/ focus/ productivity/ or direction at some point, and resolve with an accepted conclusion

Tuckman's stages

Forming, storming, norming, performing, transforming/reforming/adjourning

Effective group leaders

Help the group come to a clear understanding of the goals, be aware of procedures and norms, understand the skills/ talents/ needs of its members, develop methods to evaluate the groups progress, learn to accept new ideas, and create new tasks and terminate outdated ones

Lewin leadership theory

Autocratic, democratic, and Laissez-faire

Situational leadership theory

Visionary, coaching, pacesetting, democratic, affiliative, and authoritative

Transformational leadership

Idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration

Transactional leadership

Get things done, deadlines, problem solving, step by step

Parts of communication

How one listens/ responds, giving and receiving feedback, using concrete language, challenging clients behavior or actions, self-disclosure, meaning attribution, bridging, and reality testing

Listen & respond

Active listening and suspending judgement

Giving and receiving feedback

nonverbal reactions, "I" statements, and group feedback

Concrete language

Using words that are clear to all members

Challenging

Not a confrontation. Used as an attempt to engage a person in examining the consequences of some aspect of their behavior

Meaning attribution

Labeling a meaning to an action to facilitate further discussion. As a leader you may be inaccurate and have to check with the members

Reality testing

Process when one's understanding of a situation is shared and reviewed, including observations and behaviors and possible distortions and faulty beliefs. Includes checking in with the person.

Bridging

The feeling of not being alone. "Has anyone else experienced _____?"

Self-disclosure

Leader reveals feelings and experiences as appropriate

Professional boundaries

Protect the clients from being used to meet therapists needs

Modeling behavior

Leader demonstrates the behavior they want to see/want participants to learn. Should be acknowledgment when members imitate the behavior

Aspects of effective modeling

Have the attention of the person you are wanting to effect, the modeled behavior is tied into the goals for that member, if there is good rapport or the member seeks approval they are more likely to imitate.

Closure

Must be planned in the group. Termination of relationship (or groups) can be a challenge

Strategies for closure

Encourage members to express concerns, discuss feelings of loss, dealing with unfinished business, reviewing member participation/ success, transfer of learning to new situations, reinforcing confidentiality when appropriate.

Things that influence group development/ dynamics

Group/ individual roles, leadership style, group goals, group cohesiveness, degree of assessment/ planning/ design, group membership, and group norms

Group task roles

Initiator-contributor, information seeker, opinion seeker, information giver, opinion giver, elaborator, coordinator, orienter, evaluator-critic, energizer, procedural technician, and recorder

Initiator-Contributor

Suggests new ideas, innovative solutions to problems, unique procedures, and new ways to organize

Information seeker

Asks for clarification of suggestions, focuses on facts

Opinion seeker

Seeks clarification of values and attitudes present

Information giver

Offers facts or generalizations "automatically"

Opinion giver

States beliefs or opinions

Elaborator

Spells out suggestions and gives examples

Coordinator

Clarifies relationships among various ideas

Orienter

Defines position of group with respect to its goals

Evaluator- critic

Subjects accomplishments of group to some standard of group functioning

Energizer

Prods the group into action or decision

Procedural technician

Expedites groups movement by doing things for the group, such as distributing materials or arranging seating

Recorder

Writes down suggestions and group decisions, acts as the "group memory"

Group building & maintenance roles

Encourager, harmonizer, compromiser, gatekeeper/ expediter, standard-setter, group observer/commentator, and follower

Encourager

Praises, agrees with, and accepts the contributions of others

Harmonizer

Mediates the differences between other members

Compromiser

Modifies his or her own position in the interest of group harmony

Gatekeeper/ expediter

Keeps communication channels open by regulating its flow and facilitating participation of others

Standard-setter

Expresses ideal standards for the group to aspire to

Group observer/ commentator

Comments on and interprets the process of the group

Follower

Passively accepts the ideas of others and goes along with the movement of the group

Individual roles

Aggressor, blocker, recognition-seeker, self-confessor, playboy, dominator, help-seeker, and special interest pleader

Aggressor

Deflates the status of others; expresses disapproval of the values, acts, or feelings of others; attacks the group or group tasks

Blocker

Tends to be negativistic or stubbornly resistant, opposing beyond reason or maintaining issues the group has rejected

Recognition- seeker

Calls attention to self through boasting, acting in unusual ways, or struggling to remain in the limelight

Self-confessor

Uses group as an audience for expressing non-group-oriented feelings, insights, or ideologies

Playboy

Displays lack of involvement through joking, cynicism, or nonchalance

Dominator

Monopolizes group through manipulation, flattery, giving directions authoritatively, or interrupting the contributions of others

Help-seeker

Looks for sympathy from the group through unreasonable insecurity, personal confusion, or self deprecation

Special interest pleader

Cloaks his or her own biases in the stereotypes of social causes, such as the laborer, the housewife, the homeless, etc

Anatomy of a group protocol

Create a name, rationale, frequency/ length of time, meeting space, goals, composition, leadership, references for intervention, and group methods. procedures.