Small Group Methods of Personal Change

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

“…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). We also employed the strategy suggested by Hartman (1979) and others of including both leadership and group variables as mediators of clients' outcome in group. Since our data are cross-sectional in nature, our findings and ideas, especially concerning the causal ordering of leadership behavior, group climate and development, and clients' outcome, are a function of our theoretical approach and do not rest on empirical time-ordered evidence.…”

“…In a study representative of this approach, Piper et al (1979) found that cotherapist behavior that is consistent over time with respect to the focus of intervention (individual focus, group-as-a-whole focus, or pair-relationship focus), yet dissimilar-to each other, produced more group work and improved outcome for group members. Hartman (1979) has argued that outcome studies for group psychotherapy need to include at least both leader variables and group variables. The present outpatient study was designed with this in mind.…”

Researcher and clinician: Role conflict and resolution

“…Early reviews of group psychotherapy research concluded that poor communication between researchers and clinicians contributed to lack of progress in the understanding of group treatment (Bednar et al, 1987;Bennis, 1960;Dies, 1979;Hartman, 1979). An example of clinician bias against research was given by MacKenzie and Dies (1982), who claim that clinicians see empirical measures as an invasion, despite their capacity to help tailor interventions more sensitively to the unique needs of the individual patient.…”

The development of an instrument for measuring leadership behaviors in therapy groups

“…and theories about leadership and the group process; and 2) the design and systematic use of reliable, valid, and clinically meaningful instruments to assess leadership variables (Bednar & Kaul, 1979;Bednar & Moeschl, 1981;Coche & Dies, 1981;Dies, 1977b;Hartman, 1979;Weigel & Corazzini, 1978).…”

“…Dies also recommended for training purposes the observational systems of group interaction developed by Bales (1950) and Hill {1977). Athough these two systems are regarded highly, their limitations in terms of time, training and personnel costs, and their basis in social psychology versus group therapy have been recognized (Bednar & Moeschl, 1981;Hartman, 1979;Silbergeld et al, 1979}. In contrast to the above observational approaches, Wile and his colleagues began by identifying fundamental aspects of group therapy leadership and developing these into specific items to assess the quantity, quality and content of leaders' activities in groups (Wile et al, 1970a(Wile et al, , 1970b. The authors attempted to heighten the clinical meaningfulness of their instrument by providing descriptions of actual group situations to accompany the leadership responses.…”