The Group Development Process Analysis Measures.

Abstract

The Group Development Process Analysis Measures were designed to facilitate the study of development in small groups. The measures include three scales for the process analysis of verbal content and style dimensions, a set of speech behavior codes, and a sociometric test for the identification of emergent leaders. The primary focus of this chapter is on the process analysis scales and the speech behavior measures. The process analysis scales are (a) the Hostility/Support Scale; (b) the Experiencing Scales (Klein, Mathieu-Coughlan, & Kiesler, 1986) adapted for use in the study of group psychotherapy; and (c) the Normative Organizational/Personal Exploration (NO/PE) Scale, which is used to rate units created by the Topic-Oriented Group Focus Unitizing Procedure. The Speech Behavior Coding System includes measures for length of statement, who is speaking, who is spoken to, and how frequently the group members refer to themselves as "we."The process of development in small groups has been studied conceptually for about 50 years. The foundations of the theory of phases in 22 1

Phases of group development: Systems-centered hypotheses and their implications for research and practice.

“…Yalom (1995) addressed group development but did not use it as a specific framework for formulating interventions. Emphasizing that the task of group therapy is influenced by the group's development, Beck (Beck, 1981; Lewis, Beck, Dugo, & Eng, 2000) developed a theory of group development with nine phases. Rutan and Stone (1993) devoted a chapter in their text to group development and group dynamics and suggested that group therapists gain a deeper understanding by knowing the stages of group development.…”

The Role of Group Members in Facilitating Treatment

“…At Category Seven, a sustained expansion of awareness is apparent, with continued movement from one inner referent to others. A more detailed description and definition of the scale categories with examples of ratings can be found in training manuals by Klein [18].…”