Scientific Inquiry Into Small Group Process

Abstract

Scientific inquiry into small group processes requires a pantheoretical organization of the facts discovered. A multidimensional system is proposed, based on commonly used measurement parameters in group research. Four dimensions describing the who, what, how, and when, ofprocess measurement are combined and crossed as a first step toward an orderly classification system. Implications for multidimensional process measurement are discussed.

Leadership behavior, group climate and outcome in group psychotherapy: A study of outpatient psychotherapy groups

“…We attempted to study actual ongoing psychotherapy groups in a community mental health center using Burlingame et al's (1984) multidimensional approach as elaborated by Dies (1985). Only a small number of studies reported in the literature involve actual outpatient populations, presumably because of the complexity of such work and the inherent difficulties in conducting treatment and research simultaneously (Budman et al, 1984).…”

“…Increasingly, researchers (Burlingame et al, 1984;Dies, 1985) are focusing on a research approach characterized by answers to a series of questions:…”

The Impact of Group Cohesiveness on Organizational Performance: The Nigerian Case

“…Though research findings of the two schools of thought have continued to present conflicting outcomes, yet the robustness of the multidimensional process is relevant to our study. Burlingame, Fuhriman, and Drescher (1984) study 'scientific inquiry into small group process a multidimensional approach' provides four insightful dimensions on the 'who, what, how and when' of group process and posits that a critical analysis of the interplay of these variables and elements provides signposts to explain and justify reasons for the divergence in outcomes of cohesion research in small groups. A key and fundamental participant for observation in most groups is the person as depicted by the 'Who'; the makeup and configuration of the person represents an embodiment or personification of an individual made up of a myriad of forces ranging from cultural, social, technological, environmental and external forces that have molded and influence his personality at different points in time.…”

Cohesion

“…In an overview of these problems (Fuhriman et al, 1984), we concluded that this lack of integration may be partially due to an absence of conceptual clarity in the process variables and insufficient consideration of the measurement parameters with which they are studied. In the second article in this series (Burlingame et al, 1984), we proposed and delineated a multidimensional classification system for process research capable of describing the prominent elements of small groups as well as the procedures used to observe the relationship between and among those elements.…”

“…Without clearly articulated measurement parameters to compare process variables, the explanatory power across process studies is seriously compromised because the parameters of the different conceptual boxes being investigated are left unstated. Parameters should separate variables within a study so that variables from that study can be clearly understood and cleanly compared with those same variables across studies [Burlingame et al 1984]. …”