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Growth Groups: Do the Outcomes Really Last?
Abstract
Outcome studies of encounter groups, marathons, sensitivity training, human potential, and other growth-oriented, group-based interventions generally emphasize immediate posttest results. Relatively few investigators assess the durability of changes experienced by participants or examine delayed or cumulative effects. In this review, 26 controlled studies of growth group outcomes were used to evaluate the effectiveness of growth groups in facilitating enduring changes in the domain of interpersonal relationships. Each study (1) had a repeated measures design, (2) involved 10 or more hours of group intervention, and (3) included follow-up data collected at least 1 month after the completion of the group experience. Outcomes are assessed in the categories of self-actualization, interpersonal orientation, attitudes, interpersonal dimensions of personality, and behavior. Despite the low frequency of enduring positive changes, evidence supports the contention that some lasting positive effects are potentially available to growth group participants. Critical elements of the group process are identified that may relate the treatments themselves to the reported outcomes. Membership and leadership considerations mediating positive lasting effects are inferred from the data.
... Professional group counselling manages to create a positive short-term and long-term impact on group members (Zainudin, Zuria, & Salleh, 2008). Berman & Zimper (1980) noted that interpersonal changes occurred among members after they had more than ten hours' worth of group counselling sessions. Rogers (1951) states that relationships with others help individuals to understand themselves, which contributes to self-esteem. ...
This qualitative study is aimed at identifying therapeutic factors in group counselling that encourage the development of self. A total of five counselling students voluntarily participated in this study. The participants had been involved in at least ten sessions of group counselling, which is also part of the learning activities, prior to this research. Data were gathered through interview and diary writing. During this semi- structured interview, the researchers provided questions as a guide before starting the interview. However, the interview was not based solely on the provided questions. Participants were also asked to keep a diary designed to help them express their thoughts, experiences or any other matter related to group counselling experiences. All research participants engaged in three interviews and three journal entries during the data gathering period. Writing a diary entry was done after each interview was held. The data gathering period, interviews and diary writing, occurred over a period of eight weeks. The results showed that unconditional acceptance and compliance with confidentiality by the group leader and the group members were the main therapeutic factors that contributed to the self-development of members. Other therapeutic factors that had an effect were the leadership style, counselling skills and knowledge of the group leader, as well as the commitment of the group members. The presence of therapeutic factors promoted the development of self-confidence, insight, relief and feelings of appreciation among group members. The implication of this unconditional acceptance and confidentiality must be understood, and can thus be practiced by counsellors or group leaders, to create an opportunity for group members to model those behaviours.
... A few years later, another meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of growth groups (Berman & Zimpfer, 1980). From over 100 controlled studies, the meta-analysis included studies that (1) had a repeated measures design; (2) involved ten or more hours of group intervention; and (3) included follow-up data collected at least one month after completion of the program. ...
A diverse group of 30 adults attended a 3-day intensive experiential learning group intervention conducted by Foundations Seminars. Participants reported on measures of subjective well-being (life satisfaction and felt emotion) before and for 14 weeks after attendance. Repeated measures analysis demonstrates that participants significantly improved in all measures following attendance at the seminar (p < .03), with medium-to-large effect size (.5 < d < 1.2). Contrast analysis showed that participants maintained their subjective well-being throughout the follow-up period (p < .01). The report details possible group and individual mechanisms of change that may be utilized by the seminar to increase well-being. It also explores ways to minimize risk of psychological harm to participants.
Across the United States primarily on a town or city basis, the increasing public awareness and understanding of the detrimental impact of human activity on the environment is fostering the development and visibility of grassroots sustainability efforts. This is most readily noted in plastic bag, Styrofoam, and plastic bottle bans. These efforts have been typically facilitated by education campaigns focused on the symbiotic relationship between human life and the planet and the intrinsic or non-market derived value of the ecosystems we inhabit. However, often the communication strategy employed has been limited by an appeal to a like-minded stakeholder constituency, reducing the traction benefit from engaging other stakeholders and the subsequent en masse alignment with regulatory intent. This paper details a grassroots effort and the stakeholder engagement process related to a specific ban. It describes the development and implementation process as carried out through a university-town partnership, where the approach taken includes proactive stakeholder engagement inclusive of a consumer survey instrument. Though survey results reveal interest and even concern for the environment, interestingly the results also highlight a self-evaluation bias among respondents. Results show that respondent perception of environmental concern is inconsistent with their actions, providing an entry point and justification for multi-channel education and communications strategies differentiated by stakeholder grouping.
Previous research into retention issues has been limited by the narrow range of learning outcomes investigated, by the preference for laboratory contexts rather than naturalistic settings, and by the short duration of the retention periods studied. This article reports data on the retention of problem-solving performance after one month, four months, and six months, in three separate studies conducted in school settings involving a variety of grades and subjects. /// Les recherches antérieures sur les questions de rétention ont été limitées par l'étroit éventail des résultats cherchés, par la préférence pour le contexte de laboratoire plutôt que l'environnement naturel, et par les courtes périodes de rétention étudiées. On présente dans cet article les données sur la rétention de la possibilité de résoudre des problèmes après un mois, quatre mois, et six mois, dans trois études séparées entreprises dans une école, à des niveaux et pour des sujets variés. /// Bisherige Untersuchungen auf dem Gebiet der Merkfähigkeitsfragen sind von dem engen Aufgabengebiet der untersuchten Lernergebnisse, vom Vorzug für den Laborkontext anstatt naturalistischer Verhältnisse und von der kurzen Dauer der untersuchten Merkfähigkeitszeitspannen begrenzt worden. Diese Arbeit berichtet Einzelheiten über die Merkfähigkeit der Leistung bei Problemlösungen nach einem Monat, vier Monaten, und sechs Monaten, in drei verschiedenen Untersuchungen, die in Schulumgebungen ausgeführt wurden, die eine Anzahl von Lehrstufen und Fächern umschlossen. /// Investigaciones hasta la fecha acerca de problemas de retención estaban limitadas por la gama restringida de los resultados de aprendizaje investigados, la preferencia por contextos de laboratorio más bien que ambientes más naturales, y la corta duración de los periodos de retención estudiados. Este articulo informa acerca de datos referentes a la retención del desempeño en la solución de problemas después de uno, cuatro y seis meses, en tres estudios separados llevados a cabo en ambientes escolares con varios estudiantes en diversas clases.
In the past decade, encounter groups have become a widely recognised technique of intervention for counsellors. Empirical research on encounter groups is confusing. Trends in research are obscured by a diversity of definitions, methodologies and subjects. This review considers the most significant research on the effectiveness of encounter groups, focusing on positive and negative effects, leader behaviour, group characteristics, participant characteristics, and the maintenance of change. Conclusions are drawn relating the research to practice, with some suggested guidelines for use of encounter groups in counselling interventions.
Types of Therapeutic GroupsGroup DevelopmentLeadership in Therapeutic GroupsMotives and Goals in Therapeutic GroupsTherapeutic Factors in GroupsThe Effectiveness of GroupsTherapeutic Groups as Groups
IntroductionEarly Research on Majority and Minority InfluenceTheoretical Approaches to Majority and Minority InfluenceDual Process ModelsSingle-Process TheoriesSummary and Conclusions
How Shared Cognitions DevelopThe Impact of Shared Cognitions on Group Process and PerformanceSummary and Future Direction
Using action research within a critical paradigm framework the author investigated young people’s ability to develop a programme of work that raises awareness of bullying in schools. The research group was made up of six young people, to whom the author and other specialists offered anti-bullying and participatory training techniques. The group eventually designed their own anti-bullying activity programme, which they delivered in creative workshop style sessions to other young people in schools. The author located this research in critical enquiry, engaging the group in a self-reflective process that aimed to be democratic, equitable, liberating and life enhancing. This report is written in the form of a narrative and evaluates the author’s practice as an educative theatre practitioner. Central themes to this research are bullying, power, creative activity and youth participation. Schools, teachers and adults are often described as sucking out the creativity of young people and thus not allowing many of them achieve their full potential. In this context young people are often powerless to deal with some of the difficult issues in their lives such as bullying. The author suggests that peer support is a key strategy to deal with bullying in schools. The author introduces a new concept of peer support called external peer support, which he has evaluated against the current literature. The definition of bullying is explored in depth, as is its relationship to power. The author suggests peer support to be a key strategy in youth participation and ultimately helping youth empowerment.
In a controlled study of T-Group effectiveness in a correctional institution,' it appears that such a group benefited the members. Seveen female supervisors participated in a sensitivity group twice a week for three months. These women showed an increment in self-reported positive adjectives from preto posttest. Of greater importance was the fact that there was a concomitant increase in positive adjectives used in descriptions of the supervisors by the residents of the institution. During the same time, a matched group of control Ss showed a significant decrease in the number of positive adjectives ascribed to them. These results were maintained after a one-year period. The data suggest that T Groups may be valuable as a staff training method in correctional institutions-where the aim increasingly is positive rehabilitation.
Four different sessions of an educational program for business executives were studied to compare the differential effects of laboratory human relations (T-Group) training versus a lecture-discussion approach to interpersonal relations in organizations. Both types of programs produced equal change in participants' stated beliefs about effective interpersonal behavior. Laboratory training showed greater effects on participants' perceptions of themselves and on their behavior as analyzed from tape recordings of case discussion meetings. However, there was evidence that the participants had difficulty transferring learning from the T Group to other parts of the program and that there was considerable fade-out of the effects of the training.
The study concludes that attitudes of American university students toward students from other nations can be altered through group involvement methods, even those lasting for only a weekend. (Author)