SOW 4323-02 Chapter 1

Review Sheet for Quiz #1

Therapy groups focus on remediation and rehabilitation. They help members change their behavior, cope with and ameliorate personal problems or rehabilitate themselves after physical, psychological, or social trauma. Support groups primary goals are to foster mutual aid, to help members cope with stressful life events, and to revitalize and enhance members coping abilities so they can effectively adapt to and cope with future stressful life events. Social, recreational, and educational groups another example of a treatment group. Committees, teams, and administrative groups are task groups in which the overriding purpose is to accomplish a goal (client/organizational) that is not immediately linked to the needs of the members of that group. Social action groups, coalitions, community groups goal is to help meet the needs of the community.

The social worker intervenes with the individual to help them accomplish their goals the group as a whole to achieve an optimal level of group functioning

Group work goal directed activity with small treatment and task groups aimed at meeting socioeconomic needs and accomplishing tasks. Formed groups come together through some outside influence or intervention (therapy, educational, support, committees, social action, and teams) Natural groups come together spontaneously on the basis of naturally occurring events, interpersonal attraction, or the mutually perceived needs of members (family, peers, gangs, cliques) Treatment groups work to meet members personal needs. Roles develop through interaction and people communicate back-and-forth based on members needs. Procedures can be flexible or formal, depending on the group. The groups composition is based on common concerns, problems, or characteristics. In treatment groups, self-disclosure is expected to be high and proceedings are to be kept private. The groups success is evaluated based on members meeting treatment goals. Task groups work to complete a specific task. Roles for members can either develop trough interaction or can be assigned. Communication remains focused on the task to be accomplished. Procedures usually include formal

rules and agendas. The composition of the group is based on needed talents, expertise, or division of labor. Self-disclosure is expected to be low, and proceedings may be kept either private or public. The groups success is based on members accomplishing the task or mandate, or producing a product. Advantages of Group Treatment empathy from multiple source, feedback from multiple points of view, helper therapy (providing help is often therapeutic, hope, mutual aid (members give and receive help), normalization of problem, practice of new behaviors, reality testing, recapitulation (working through previously unsatisfactory relationships with family members/ peers with the help of the group), re -creation of the family of origin, resources, role models, solidarity, socialization, social support, validation, and vicarious learning (learning by hearing about other members coping responses). Disadvantages of Group Treatment member dependency, breaches in confidentiality, scapegoating of a member, domination of group by overly talkative individual, and less effective for dealing with intense, highly personal problems. Chapter 2 Treatment Groups Social Goals Model focuses on socializing members to democratic social values. This model values cultural diversity and the power of group action. Through this model, the worker tries to empower members, socialize members, help them make collective decisions, and use their collective strength. This model is used in youth groups, Scouts, YMCA, etc. Remedial Model focuses on restoring or rehabilitating individuals by helping them change their behavior. Through this model, the worker acts as a change agent and intervenes in the group to help achieve certain goals. This takes on a leader-centered approach. It is used in inpatient and community based settings with individuals who have significant problems. Time limited, highly structured groups are being used more frequently as cost effective alternatives to long-term individual therapy. Reciprocal Model has an emphasis on the reciprocal relationship between the group members and society. The worker acts as a mediator helping members find common ground between their needs and societal demands. The worker also acts as a resource personhelping members find new ways of coping. The worker uses group processes to foster a therapeutic environment in the group as a whole Systems Theory focuses on looking at problems in a relational context. Problems do not lie within the individual but within the dysfunctional relational patterns. Problematic behaviors are just symptoms of a deeper systemic issue in the persons relationship. For example, a child acting out

may just be acting out the anxiety and stress of marital and/or family problems at home. Groups are in a constant state of becoming, developing, and changing which influences their equilibrium and continued existence. - Developmental Life Cycle of Groups: Early (giving/receiving info), Middle (giving/asking for opinions), Later (giving/asking for suggestions) Four Major Functional Tasks for systems such as a group (Parsons, Bales, and Shils (1953): Integration-ensuring group fits together. Adaptation-ensuring group changes to fit with environment. Pattern Maintenance- ensuring that groups define and sustain basic purpose and procedures. Goal attainment- ensuring that groups accomplish their task. Psychodynamic Theory group members act out in the group unresolved conflicts from early life experiences. The group becomes a reenactment of its members family situations. Freud believed that the group leader was the allpowerful father figure who controlled the group. Group members form transference reactions to the group leader and to each other based on their early life experiences. Group leaders use these transference reactions to help members work through unresolved conflicts by exploring past behavioral patterns and linking these patters to current behaviors. It is believed that insight is the essential ingredient to modifying behavior patterns outside the group. Learning Theory focuses on the behavior of the individuals, generally ignoring group dynamics. Classical Approach: behavior becomes associated with a stimulus ( a worker responds by making a negative verbal comment each time a member turns to talk to another group member) Operant conditioning: the behaviors of the group members and the worker are governed by the consequences of their actions Social Learning Theory: most learning takes place through observation and vicarious reinforcement or punishment. For example, when a group member is praised for a certain behavior, that group member and other group members reproduce that behavior hoping to receive similar praise. Field Theory created three types of group leadership (authoritarian, democratic, and laisse-faire). Individuals will not change their own behavior unless they see their behavior and attitudes as others see them. Members are confronted with the effects of their behavior on other group members and on the groups facilitator. Role-plays, simulations, and other experiential activities are used. Social Exchange Theory focuses on the behavior of individual group members. Theorists believe that when people interact in groups each person acts in a way to maximize rewards and minimize punishments.

 Chapter 3 Understanding Group Dynamics Four Dimensions of Group Dynamics - Communication is the process by which people convey meanings to each other using symbols. Can be verbal, nonverbal, or written. - Process is the cycle, what happens. Content is the meaty details of this particular circumstance. - Selective Perception: screening of messages so that they are congruent with the belief system. - Selective screening sometimes results in blocking messages so that they arent received or decoded - Feedback: when a misunderstanding has occurred the worker can model this clarification technique for the group. First, describe the content of the communication or behavior as it is perceived by the group member. Second, be directed back at the member as soon as it is received. Third, be expressed in a tentative manner so that those who send the message understand that the feedback is designed to check for distortions not to attack them. - Patterns of Groups Interaction - Maypole when the leader is the central figure and communication occurs from the leader to the member - Round Robin when members take turns talking - Hot Seat where there is an extended conversation between the leader and one member as the other members watch - Free Floating when all members communicate as they please - Group Centered communication patterns tend to increase social interaction, group morale, and members commitment to the group - Factors that can change Communication Patterns - Cues and Reinforcers. Cues such as words or gestures can act as signals to the group members to talk more or less frequently. Worker may need to increase/decrease communication from a group member. - Emotional Bonds - Positive bonds increase interpersonal interaction. - Negative bonds decrease interaction and solidarity. - Interest alliance based on emotional bonds -Subgroups form from the emotional bonds of interest alliances among subsets of group

members. - Size as the group grows each member has more social relationships to maintain, but less opportunity to maintain them. As size increases, participation and satisfaction decreases. - Physical Arrangement - Power and Status - Group Cohesion the result of all forces acting on memers to remain in a group. This includes member to member attraction and liking for the group as a whole, a sense of unity and community, and a sense of teamwork with the group. Can have very positive effects, makes group awesome! - Social Integration and Influence is how members fit together and are accepted into the group. - Norms shared expectations and beliefs about appropriate ways to act in a social situation such as a group. - Roles shared expectations about the functions of individuals in the group. - Status Hierarchy an evaluation and ranking of each members position in the group relative to all members - Group Culture refers to values, beliefs, customs, and traditions held in common by group members. 1. Surface-rituals and symbols 2. How group members interact with each other 3. Core beliefs, ideologies, and values shared by members.