Group

Process and
Dynamics
HOW IT BEGAN
History or Group
Dynamics
The history of group dynamics (or group processes) has a consistent,
underlying premise: 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.'

A social group is an entity, which has qualities that cannot be

understood just by studying the individuals that make up the group.

In 1924, Gestalt psychologist, Max Wertheimer identified this fact,

proclaiming that there are entities where the behavior of the whole
cannot be derived from its individual elements nor from the way these
elements fit together. Rather the opposite is true, the properties of any
of the parts are determined by the intrinsic structural laws of the whole.
History or Group
Dynamics
As a field of study, group dynamics has roots in both psychology and sociology.

Wilhelm Wundt, credited as the founder of experimental psychology, had a particular

interest in the psychology of communities, which he believed possessed phenomena
(human language, customs, and religion) that could not be described through a study
of the individual.

On the sociological side, Émile Durkheim, who was influenced by Wundt, also
recognized collective phenomena, such as public knowledge.

Other key theorists include Gustave Le Bon who believed that crowds possessed a
'racial unconscious' with primitive, aggressive, and antisocial instincts, and William
McDougall (psychologist), who believed in a 'group mind,' which had a distinct
existence born from the interaction of individuals.
History or Group
Dynamics
Ultimately, it was social psychologist Kurt Lewin who coined the term
‘group dynamics’ to describe the positive and negative forces within
groups of people.

Additionally, group dynamics began, as an identifiable field of inquiry, in

the United States toward the end of the 1930s. In 1945, he established
The Group Dynamics Research Center at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, the first institute devoted explicitly to the study of group
dynamics.

Throughout his career, Lewin was focused on how the study of group
dynamics could be applied to real-world, social issues.
Kurt Lewin
German social psychologist
Worked with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as Professor
and Research Director
Has broad humanitarian sympathies
Research that aims at changing social conditions
Field Theory
Field as the ‘totality of co-existing facts that are conceived as mutually
inter-dependent’ = LIFESPACE
Asserts that if a person is to be understood, s/he must be seen in the
light of how s/he views the world

Behavior is a ‘function of the interaction between her her/his person

and his/her environment’
where environment could either be considered
a. objective – how the world really is
b. subjective – how one views the world
The Tension System
Exists if there is an unsatisfied need or an unfulfilled intention
Object – refers to any element within the psychological environment
that relieves tension
Valence – the quality in an object that makes the object of special
interest to the individual
◦ Positive valence
◦ Negative valence
 Group
Number of individuals bound together by a community of interest,
purpose and function.

Gatherings of less than 10-12 people are considered by

organizational development consultants to be a small group.

Two or more people who interact and influence one another for
more than a few moments, affect one another in some way and
think of themselves as “us” (Myers, 2008)
A collection of
individuals…
Who are inter-acting with one another
Who are interdependent
Who join together to achieve a goal
Who are trying to satisfy some personal need through their joint
association
Whose inter-actions are structured by a set of roles and norms
Who influences each other
As a social unit consisting of two
or more persons who perceive
themselves as belonging to a
group
 Central Features of
Groups
Categorization Psychological significance
Communication Shared identification
Influence Shared tasks and goals
Interaction Structure
Interdependence Systems
Interrelation
Group Guidance
Refers to group activities that focus on providing information or
experiences through a planned and organized group activity, e.g.,
◦ Orientation groups
◦ Career exploration groups
◦ College visitation days
◦ Classroom guidance
Group Guidance
Is also organized to prevent the development of problems
The content could include
◦ Educational
◦ Vocational
◦ Personal
◦ social information

All with a goal of providing students with accurate information that will
help them make more appropriate plans and life decisions
Group Counseling
Refers to the routine adjustment or developmental experiences
provided in a group setting.
Focuses on assisting counselees to cope with their day to day
adjustment and developmental concerns, e.g., behavior modification,
developing personal relationship skills, concerns on sexuality, values,
attitudes, career decision making
Group Therapy
Provides intense experiences for people with serious adjustment,
emotional or developmental needs.
TGs are usually distinguished from counseling groups by both the
length of time and depth of experience of those involved.
TG participants often are individuals with chronic mental or emotional
disorders requiring major personality reconstruction.
 T-Groups
Are derivatives of training groups; represent the application of training
methods to group work

Represent an effort to create a society in miniature with a n environment

designed especially for learning

This learning experience usually includes learning about how people function
in groups and about one’s own behavior in groups

Basic assumption: “learning is more effective when the individual establishes

authentic relationships with others”
Sensitivity Groups
A form of T-group but focuses on personal and interpersonal issues and
on the personal growth of the individual.

Emphasizes on self-insight, which means that the central focus is not

the group and its progress but rather the individual member
Encounter Group
Also in the T-group, but is more therapy oriented

(C. Rogers, 1967): A group that stresses personal

growth through the development and
improvement of interpersonal relationships via
an experiential group process.
(EG) Such groups seek to release
the potential of the P:

‘In an intensive group, with much freedom

and little structure, the individual will
gradually feel safe enough to drop some of
the defenses and facades; he will relate
more directly on the feeling basis with
other members of the group; he will come
to understand himself and his relationship
to others more accurately; and he will
subsequently relate more effectively to
others in his everyday life. (p.262)
Task Groups
Are organized to meet organizational needs through task forces or other
organizational groups or to serve individual needs of clients through
such activities as social action groups
These groups are frequently useful to organizations seeking ways to
improve their functioning.
May be organized to assist clients dealing with wide spectrum of needs
ranging from spiritual to educational
Psycho-education(al)
Groups
Emphasize cognitive and behavioral skill development in groups
structured to teach these skills and knowledge.
Are oriented more toward guidance than toward counseling or therapy
Tend to be short term in duration and focused on specifically delineated
goals
attention is directed at current life situations and interactions within the
group related to the group theme
Mini-groups
Usually consists of one counselor and a maximum of four clients…
Withdrawal by individuals and the development of factions or ‘cliques’
are less likely to happen
Group Work
A broad professional practice that refers to the giving of help or the
accomplishment of task in a group setting
It involves the application of group theory and process by a capable
professional practitioner to assist an interdependent collection of
people to reach their mutual goals, which may be personal,
interpersonal or task-related in nature (Corey, 1997)
Group Dynamics
(K. Lewin, 1951)
Refers to the interacting forces within
groups as they organize and operate to
achieve their objectives
Way group and individuals act and react
to changing circumstances
Group Dynamics
(Cartwright & Zander, 1968)
Field of inquiry dedicated to achieving knowledge about the nature of
groups, the laws of their development and their interrelations with
individuals, other groups and larger institutions
Group Process
Refers to the actions and interactions used by a group to develop and maintain
its identity as a group. The continuous, ongoing movement of the group toward
achievement of its goals.

It represents the flow of group from its starting point to its termination; A
means of identifying or describing the stages through which the group passes

Core Elements
a. CONTENT - what is being discussed/done
b. PROCESS – how the group is functioning
Action Theory
Is a theory as to what actions are needed to achieve a desired
consequence in a given situation
Force-Field Analysis
Theory
Understanding how a problem emerges
and how it can be solved. (Napier, 1979)
◦ Kurt Lewin pioneered the study of intra-
group relations, but later called it training
groups or just T-groups
Others Theories
Activity:
1. With your pair, select 1 theory from the list.
2. Look up on the definition and basic concepts of the theory.
3. Explain how the theory is applied to groups or observed in groups,
especially in situations involving cooperation and competition.
4. Provide 2 situational examples.
5. Provide and appropriate reference.

You have 20 minutes to do this work. After which, present your output
to the big group.
Importance of Groups
1. Provides opportunity to reality-test perceptions.
2. Provides a sense of psychological safety to support
the elimination of self-defeating behaviors.
3. Appreciates ‘in-vivo’ or real-life inter-action
situation.
4. Appreciation of the universality of some personal
concerns.
Importance of Groups
5. Increases ability to give and to solicit appropriate self-
disclosures and feedback.
6. Enhances one’s empathy and social interest.
7. Offer opportunities to make systematic progress toward
personal changes, receiving reinforcement for changes.
8. Develops deeper understanding and acceptance of
individual differences.
9. Consistent feedback from others in a group can enhance
a person’s accuracy of perception and communication.
Dimensions of Group
Effectiveness
1. Group goals must be clearly understood, be relevant to the needs
of group members, highlight the positive interdependence of
members and evolve from every member a sense of participation.
2. Group members must communicate their ideas and feelings
accurately and clearly.
3. Participation and leadership must be distributed among members.
4. Appropriate decision-making procedures must be used flexibly if
they are to be matched with the needs of the situation.
Dimensions of Group
Effectiveness
5. Power and influence need to be approximately equal throughout the
group.
6. Conflicts arising from opposing ideas and opinions must/or are to be
encouraged.
7. Group cohesion must be high.
8. Problem-solving adequacy needs to be high.
9. The inter-personal effectiveness of members must be high.
Core Activities of Effective
Group
1. Accomplishing its goals.
2. Maintaining itself internally
3. Developing and changing in ways that improve its effectiveness
Post-Discussion
Reflection
1. Who are my groups?
2. How did I come to belong in this group?
3. Is the group I am with exhibits effectiveness?