Quality of Group Member Agendas and Group Session Climate

In: Small group research: an international journal of theory, investigation, and application, Volume 21, Issue 2, p. 205-219

Abstract

This research addressed the relationship between group members' approach to group sessions (their agendas) and group session climate. Also examined was the relationship between length of time in group and agenda quality. In the study, 36 members of six personal growth groups set agendas prior to 6 of the 26 group sessions and rated the climate of the group following these same sessions. The results of a 6 (groups) x 3 (early, middle, late sessions) repeated-measures MANOVA confirmed the expectation that agendas would become more realistic, interpersonal, and here-and-now as time in group progressed. On a group level, average ratings of interpersonal and here-and-now dimensions of agendas were significantly related to the average perception of group climate as more engaged and less avoiding during middle and late sessions. The realistic dimension was related to perceived engagement during early sessions; the here-and-now dimension related to conflict during middle sessions. The clinical usefulness of the results is discussed, and suggestions forfuture research are made.