A modified cognitive-behavioral approach to group therapy with the elderly

Group approaches to treatment subsume a wide variety of techniques. The present article describes a modified cognitive behavioral approach as developed by the author for certain groups of elderly clients. This modified approach incorporates principles of cognitive behavioral therapy in combination with humanistic, and developmental perspectives, while leaving room for addressing psychodynamic issues if desired. It is suggested that such an approach is of value where structured group techniques are called for.     

Cultural Psychotherapy: A Consideration of Psychosocial Class and Cultural Differences in Group Treatment

Most psychotherapists are aware of the many social issues and cultural factors that influence development throughout each individual life. Human nature, being a social nature, exists within relationships to others, the community, and a culture, sometimes a mixture of cultures. One social parameter, social class, redefined here as psychosocial class, has not received the same attention from psychotherapists as gender issues or ethnicity, two other important sociocultural spheres of influence on everyday life. It is suggested that group therapists are in a unique position to develop a cultural psychotherapy that addresses psychosocial class and cultural aspects of mental health. This paper includes a preliminary model of cultural psychotherapy that highlights the psychology of social class and culture for psychodynamic group psychotherapy.     

The Development of an Analytic Perspective in the Group Leader: Some Basic Thoughts

Previous experience working with individuals on a one-to-one basis along with previous analytic therapy are important prerequisites for analytic group training. Training must emphasize understanding of group-as-a-whole processes, such as basic assumption life, complex transference manifestations, as well as awareness of one's countertransference toward individuals, subgroups and the group-as-a-whole. Specific concepts derived from object-relations theory such as projective identification are crucial to master. Personal analytic group therapy is recommended.     

The disintegrative factor in therapeutic groups as illuminated by kibbutz life

This article deals with the way individuals cope with the threat they experience in the framework of psychodynamic group psychotherapy. This threat, which is understood to be a disintegrative threat, is intensified in the therapeutic group. We see the therapeutic group as possessing attributes of a potential space, in which the participants are enabled to process the defense and coping mechanisms intended to preserve the sense of integration. This will be illustrated by the experiences of individuals who grew up in a kibbutz (an Israeli society in which infants were raised with their peer group) and participated in psychodynamic groups.     

Money for microbes—Pathogen avoidance and out‐group helping behaviour

Humans have evolved various adaptations against pathogens, including the physiological immune system. However, not all of these adaptations are physiological: the cognitive mechanisms whereby we avoid potential sources of pathogens—for example, disgust elicited by uncleanliness—can be considered as parts of a behavioural immune system (BIS). The mechanisms of BIS extend also to inter‐group relations: Pathogen cues have been shown to increase xenophobia/ethnocentrism, as people prefer to keep their societal in‐group norms unaltered and “clean.” Nonetheless, little is known how pathogen cues influence people's willingness to provide humanitarian aid to out‐group members. We examined how pathogen cues affected decisions of providing humanitarian aid in either instrumental (sending money) or non‐instrumental form (sending personnel to help, or accepting refugees), and whether these effects were moderated by individual differences in BIS sensitivity. Data were collected in two online studies (Ns: 188 and 210). When the hypothetical humanitarian crisis involved a clear risk of infection, participants with high BIS sensitivity preferred to send money rather than personnel or to accept refugees. The results suggest that pathogen cues influence BIS‐sensitive individuals' willingness to provide humanitarian aid when there is a risk of contamination to in‐group members.     

无辜受害事件对公正世界信念的威胁:观察者的角色偏倚

无辜受害者信息往往打破民众“好人有好报”的公正世界,而这种公正世界信念的威胁也因人而异。通过情绪Stroop效应验证这一心理现象,并探讨观察者与无辜受害者的群体归属以及观察者的不公正体验是否会影响公正世界信念威胁的程度。结果表明:(1)无论观察者是否与无辜受害者属于同一群体,或者观察者有无不公正体验,无辜受害者信息均会激活观察者的公正世界信念。(2)相比于外群体,当观察者与受害者属于同一群体类型(内群体)时,其公正世界信念的激活程度更强。(3)内群体观察者在有和无不公正体验的条件下,公正世界信念的威胁程度不存在显著差异。     

The Positive Plus Program: Affirmative classroom management to improve student behavior

This study describes the Positive Plus Program, a multicomponent intervention combining behavior‐specific praise with an interdependent group contingency and teacher feedback. An elementary school teacher wanting to improve her classroom management skills implemented the Positive Plus Program. Four second‐grade students participated in the study, and each of the students emitted disruptive behavior in class previously. This study, using an ABAB design, indicated that when the teacher reliably delivered high levels of behavior‐specific praise and awarded points, disruptive behavior was less likely. Student outcomes showed increased academic engagement and decreased off‐task motor and verbal behavior from pre‐ to post‐intervention. Teacher ratings indicated high levels of social validity. In light of these findings, implications for future research and implementation are discussed.     

Taxonomy of Psychological and Social Disturbances in Survivors of Group Psychological Abuse

The purpose of this study was to delimit the psychological and social disturbances that individuals who have suffered psychological abuse within a social group on an ongoing basis can experience. A comprehensive classification of these disturbances was developed based on a review of the scientific literature. Its content was revised by an international panel of 38 experts on the topic. Experts also judged the frequency and intensity with which each disturbance is commonly experienced by survivors of abusive groups. The taxonomy, which includes 20 components classified into four main categories, showed adequate content validity. The components considered the most frequent and intense were related to emotional difficulties, followed by those associated with relational and social integration difficulties, cognitive difficulties, and, finally, other specific problematic behaviors. Operationalizing and classifying the specific psychological and social disturbances commonly experienced by survivors of abusive groups contributes to a better delimitation of the phenomenon. Likewise, it contributes to the understanding of the long-term effects of psychological abuse, which is useful in both the academic and clinical settings.     

青少年早期学业成就的同伴团体社会化:感知学校氛围的调节作用

通过对1275名初一青少年开展为期半年的追踪调查,考察了同伴团体对青少年早期个体学业成就的影响,及感知学校氛围对这种影响的调节作用。结果表明:(1)在控制学校虚拟变量、年龄、性别、同伴团体规模及个体前期学业成就之后,所在班级前期的平均学业成就能显著预测个体后期学业成就;(2)同伴团体的学业成就能正向预测个体后期的学业成就变化,但班级相对于同伴团体的情境效应不显著。(3)在个体和同伴团体水平,感知学校氛围各维度不能显著预测个体后期学业成就,但同伴团体平均学业成就与该团体整体感知到的教师支持的交互项可以正向预测个体学业成就间隔半年后的变化。     

Brief report: sudden gains in cognitive-behavioral group therapy and group psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder among college students

The present study examined sudden gains (SGs; large symptom improvements between adjacent treatment sessions) and its association with treatment outcome in a randomized-controlled trial comparing cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) versus group psychotherapy (GPT; designed to incorporate only non-specific factors) for social anxiety disorder (SAD). SAD symptoms were assessed after each treatment session in a sample of 45 college students. Independent assessors evaluated symptom severity at baseline, post-treatment and follow-up. A total of 10 (22.2%) participants experienced SGs during treatment. No differences were found in symptom improvement at post-treatment or follow-up between individuals with and without SGs. SGs appeared at similar rates across both treatments but were associated with greater improvements at post-treatment and follow-up in GPT compared to CBGT. Majority of SGs in CBGT occurred early in treatment before the provision of specific treatment techniques. These results suggest that non-specific treatment factors may be important in promoting SGs.