Change in Group Therapy: A Grounded Theory Inquiry into Group and Interpersonal Patterns in a Community Sample

• Main Author: Canate, Rebecca R.
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2012
• Subjects: group psychotherapy; grounded theory; Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy; interpersonal; Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2986; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3985&context=etd

This qualitative study investigated the group process and impact of pre-group feedback information on individuals in an eight-week therapy group. The feedback information was based on group members' results on the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) Intrex questionnaire given before the group began. The Intrex is based on Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) theory, which is a combination of interpersonal psychoanalysis, attachment theory, operant conditioning, and studies of imitative learning, and has been utilized primarily in an individual treatment format. Because only a limited number of treatment strategies have utilized IRT theory in the group treatment setting, and because group treatment results often rival those of individual therapy, the researcher chose to introduce IRT information into group therapy in a grounded-theory study. IRT information was given to the group leader and members mainly to inform them of patterns. They were the primary source of IRT feedback in the group sessions. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the process experience of this group and the potential impact of IRT theory-based feedback-receiving on this group's therapy. Participants completed the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) and the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45) at specified points to provide quantitative support for qualitative analyses of group member outcomes. Therapy tapes were transcribed verbatim, watched, and analyzed by two clinical psychology students for important process themes using grounded theory methods. Two main themes were revealed during the qualitative search: 1) Group members tended to express information gained during their interview in covert ways and were highly resistant to overt discussions of early patterns; and 2) For this particular group, religious beliefs played a large role in how information was processed and the degree to which positive change occurred distilled through their struggle internalizing norms and standards.