Group-as-a-whole interpretations in short-term group psychotherapy

The usefulness of therapists making group-as-a-whole interpretations in long-term group therapy was actively debated in the 1960s and 1970s. Advantages and disadvantages were delineated. An often-cited survey study of therapy groups that had emphasized group-as-a-whole interpretations found that many patients were dissatisfied with the therapist’s technique and the outcome of therapy. Although group-as-a-whole concepts subsequently became a part of the theory of many orientations of group therapy, there has appeared to be reluctance among many therapists to make group-as-a-whole interpretations, especially in short-term group therapies. Contrary to this tendency, an argument is made and a case illustration presented, which advocate the use of group-as-a-whole interpretations in short-term group therapies.     

Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Delusions: Helping Patients Improve Reality Testing

Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) was used to treat residual delusions in patients with schizophrenia. Initially all patients (N = 6) reported delusions of various types, such as persecution, body/mind control, grandiosity, and religious themes. The group format allowed patients to share their experiences and beliefs, thereby eliminating shame and providing support and coping strategies; as well as allowing for peer–peer discussion of irrationalities and inconsistencies in each other's beliefs. After 13 sessions there was a statistically significant reduction in delusional conviction, unhappiness associated with thinking about a delusion, intensity of distress associated with delusion, and an increased ability to dismiss a delusional thought.     

On the mechanisms and effects of feedback in group psychotherapy

Group psychotherapists commonly see feedback as one of the primary mechanism that furthers the goals of the group. This paper will summarize the research that has been done on the mechanisms leading members to produce feedback, the factors that induce members to accept feedback (for example, feedback valence and timing), and the effects of feedback on outcome and aspects of group process such as group cohesion. The article will address the practical implications of these findings for the interventions of the group psychotherapist. As will be discussed, the emphasis on the importance of feedback in the interpersonal group psychotherapy literature exceeds the programmatic research that has been done on basic questions. This paper will identify major lines of future investigation that could yield findings critical to the delivery of effective group psychotherapy such as the information processing sequences that underlie feedback delivery and reception.     

Group problem-solving among teachers: A case study of how to improve a colleague’s teaching

A case study of six teachers cooperating to improve a teacher’s teaching showed the dynamics of the group problem-solving process. An analysis of their verbal interactions showed the importance of shared understanding to successful group problem solving. The cooperative group structure helped members resolve cognitive conflicts and build group understanding. During this process, the members’ past teaching experiences and knowledge contributed to their conceptualization of the teacher’s teaching problems and their proposed solutions to improve the teacher’s teaching. Tsz Cheung Lam graduated from the Department of Educational Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2004 and obtained his Master of Education degree. His research interests lie primarily on cooperative learning and problem solving. As a primary school teacher in practice, he is now studying part-time for another master degree in data science at the Department of Statistics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.     

领导班子成员气质类型相融度研究

采用安菲莫夫气质量表测量了19个市级企事业单位97名局级党政领导班子成员的气质类型。在对和谐领导班子和矛盾冲突领导班子成员的气质类型的分析结果表明:(1)局级领导班子成员的气质类型分别为多血质和黏液质混合型、多血质类型、多血质与胆汁质混合型;(2)和谐领导班子成员的气质类型与矛盾冲突领导班子成员的气质类型之间具有显著性差异;(3)企业单位主要领导成员的气质类型与事业单位主要领导成员的气质类型之间存在显著性差异。     

My Silent Story: Conflicted Memories,Silences and Intergenerational Traumas1

This article aims to present the interdisciplinary project “My Story from Silence”, conceived in 2022. The project represents a pioneering effort in assembling individuals from diverse communities, characterized by varying ethnic, national, and migratory backgrounds, along a historically dynamic border. Its primary objective was to provide a platform for these participants to articulate and share narratives previously shrouded in silence, offering insights into their historical pasts. Emphasizing reciprocal dialogue for the first time, the initiative fostered an environment where participants engaged in the dual act of narrating their own experiences and attentively listening to the narratives of others. These memories were explored in group workshops on both sides of the border. By combining elements of cultural anthropology fieldwork and analytical psychology, the workshops attempted to address hitherto unaddressed traumas and silent personal memories linked to major traumatic historical events such as fascism and Istrian exodus through the narratives of individuals. Three vignettes will illustrate the workshop dynamic and our Jungian understanding of it.     

Overconfidence and underconfidence: When and why people underestimate (and overestimate) the competition

It is commonly held that people believe themselves to be better than others, especially for outcomes under their control. However, such overconfidence is not universal. This paper presents evidence showing that people believe that they are below average on skill-based tasks that are difficult. A simple Bayesian explanation can account for these effects and for their robustness: On skill-based tasks, people generally have better information about themselves than about others, so their beliefs about others’ performances tend to be more regressive (thus less extreme) than their beliefs about their own performances. This explanation is tested in two experiments that examine these effects’ robustness to experience, feedback, and market forces. The discussion explores the implications for strategic planning in general and entrepreneurial entry in particular.     

“To eat or not to be eaten?” Collective risk-monitoring in groups

The importance of risk-monitoring has been increasing in many key aspects of our modern lives. This paper examines how individuals monitor such risks collectively by extending a behavioral ecological model of animal foraging to human groups. Just as animals must forage for food under predatory risk, humans must divide valuable material and psychological resources between foraging activity and risk-monitoring activity. We predicted that game-theoretic aspects of the group situation complicate such a trade-off decision in resource allocation, eventually yielding a mixed equilibrium in a group. When the equilibrium is reached, only a subset of members engage in the risk-monitoring activity while others free-ride, concentrating mainly on their own foraging activity. Laboratory groups engaging in foraging under moderate risk provided a support to this prediction. When the risk-level was set higher, however, “herding behavior” (conforming to the dominant behavior) interfered with the emergence of equilibrium. Implications for risk management are discussed.     

Regulatory focus and investment decisions in small groups

Regulatory Focus Theory was applied to small interactive groups. Based on previous research, it was expected that groups with a promotion focus would discuss gain-relevant information, whereas groups with a prevention focus would be concerned with potential losses. Furthermore, promotion groups were expected to make riskier decisions than prevention groups. Regulatory focus was manipulated by rewarding good or penalizing poor group performance on a preliminary task. Subsequently, three-person groups discussed several investment funds and made a consensual investment decision. Results supported the hypotheses and suggested that regulatory focus requires time to exert its influence in groups.     

群体过程与互动分析系统

群体过程由各种行动和行为反应组成,具有动态性和复杂性。以往研究根据群体均衡理论、功能观点或时间理论等分别开发了各种基于研究者视角的群体互动过程观察分析系统。但很多研究结论并不一致,主要原因在于各个分析系统的关注点不同。本研究从信效度、理论基础、分析对象以及编码难易等角度总结了各个系统的优点和不足,并进一步提出未来研究可能的方向：构建适当的群体决策动态实验任务、明确群体过程作用机制、以及开发运用于实践的群体互动过程分析系统。