Application of adult attachment theory to group member transference and the group therapy process.

Although clinical researchers have applied attachment theory to client conceptualization and treatment in individual therapy, few researchers have applied this theory to group therapy. The purpose of this article is to begin to apply theory and research on adult dyadic and group attachment styles to our understanding of group dynamics and processes in adult therapy groups. In particular, we set forth theoretical propositions on how group members’ attachment styles affect relationships within the group. Specifically, this article offers some predictions on how identifying group member dyadic and group attachment styles could help leaders predict member transference within the therapy group. Implications of group member attachment for the selection and composition of a group and the different group stages are discussed. Recommendations for group clinicians and researchers are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group Cohesiveness, Group-Derived Collective Self-Esteem, Group-Derived Hope, and the Well-Being of Group Therapy Members.

I. D. Yalom's (1995) hypothesis that group therapy cohesiveness is the precursor to the development of group-derived collective self-esteem (CSE), hope for the self (HS), and psychological well-being (personal self-esteem and depression) was tested. Participants were 102 university counseling center group therapy clients from process (n = 54) and theme (n = 48) groups. Path analyses supported Yalom's theory that cohesiveness is the primary group factor and that it directly related to curative group factors such as CSE and HS. Additional path analyses showed that the relationship between group therapy CSE and personal self-esteem was moderated by HS, such that a significant relationship between CSE and personal self-esteem was no longer found once HS was entered into the model. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of construct type in vocational differentiation: Use of elicited versus provided dimensions.

Recent studies of vocational structure have demonstrated that experimentally provided vocational constructs are used in less complex, less differentiated ways than are Ss' personally elicited construct dimensions. The possible reasons underlying these differences are addressed in this 2-part study. Results of Study 1 supported significant differences between the use of elicited and provided constructs and ruled out 1 methodological artifact that may have accounted for these differences. Study 2 helped to isolate the personal meaningfulness of the elicited construct as an active agent that accounts for differences in the use of these vocational constructs. Findings of both studies document, for the 1st time, a means of increasing differentiation and converge to suggest the important role of personal meaning in vocational structure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Putting the group in your pocket: Using collective identity to enhance personal and collective self-esteem.

Social identity theory argues that individuals rely on group memberships to form and protect their self-concepts. The authors tested this assumption in therapy groups by teaching members to rely on their group's membership during their day-to-day activities. Participants in the control condition received general information about therapy, whereas those in the experimental condition were guided through an examination of the value of their therapy group and carried a card with them that symbolized their group membership. After 1 week, group members who received the intervention had greater private collective self-esteem than those who did not receive the intervention. The authors' findings support both social identity theory and the utility of interventions designed to enhance the psychological impact of the therapeutic group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The real relationship in psychotherapy: Relationships to adult attachments, working alliance, transference, and therapy outcome.

The purpose of this study was to understand how the real relationship (RR) relates to important process and outcome variables from both the clients’ and therapists’ perspectives. Using a sample of 31 therapist/client dyads at a university counseling center, the authors examined the RR at the 3rd session of therapy and at termination. The results revealed that client adult attachment avoidance was negatively correlated with client RR, while client adult attachment anxiety was uncorrelated. Therapists’ ratings of negative transference were negatively correlated with therapist-rated RR and were uncorrelated with client-rated RR. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were conducted to predict postintervention outcome from client and therapist perceptions of the RR. Therapists’ ratings of the RR accounted for a significant amount of variance in client posttreatment symptoms while controlling pretreatment symptoms. Client-rated RR total scores and client and therapist 3rd-session alliance scores were not significant predictors of postsymptom ratings. Implications of the usefulness of measuring the RR in psychotherapy are discussed, as are recommendations for future study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group and personal attachments: Two is better than one when predicting college adjustment.

The current study applied Smith, Murphy, and Coates' (1999) group attachment measure to college adjustment using 109 college students. Prior researchers have found that adult dyadic attachment styles predicted college adjustment. This article is the first to explore the relationship between both group and dyadic attachment styles and college adjustment as measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that personal attachment anxiety, not avoidance, accounted for the most variance in college adjustment. Group attachment avoidance also accounted for a significant amount of variance, above and beyond dyadic attachment styles, in the prediction of college adjustment. This study supports the importance of exploring both dyadic and group attachment styles in studying overall adjustment to the transition to college life. Implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of informational valence and occupational favorability on vocational differentiation: A test of the disconfirmation hypothesis.

Disliked occupations and negative occupational information have been associated with higher levels of vocational differentiation. This study develops and tests a disconfirmation hypothesis that accounts for and qualifies both of these findings. Results of a 2 (gender)?×?2?(favorable vs unfavorable occupations)?×?3?(positive vs negative vs mixed valence information) between-Ss factorial design supported predictions; negative information was linked to higher vocational differentiation when Ss evaluated favorable occupational alternatives, and positive information was related to higher vocational differentiation only when Ss evaluated unfavorable occupations. Apparently, information that disconfirms prior career expectations increases vocational differentiation, whereas information that confirms prior expectations decreases vocational differentiation, providing a basis for reconceptualization of nearly 2 decades of work in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring the Real Relationship in Psychotherapy: Initial Validation of the Therapist Form.

The development and initial validation of a therapist-rated measure of the real relationship in psychotherapy (the Real Relationship Inventory--Therapist Form [RRI-T]) is reported. Using a sample (n=80) of practicing psychotherapists and on the basis of prior theory, the authors developed a 24-item measure consisting of 2 subscales (Realism and Genuineness) and a total score. This 24-item version and other measures used for validation were completed by 79 additional practicing therapists and 51 counseling graduate students (n=130). The RRI-T was found to have high reliability and sound initial validity. As theorized, the RRI-T correlated significantly with measures of working alliance, session outcome (depth and smoothness), client intellectual and emotional insight, and client negative transference. Discriminant validity was supported by a nonsignificant relation to social desirability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Eating-Disordered Behaviors, Body Fat, and Psychopathology in Overweight and Normal-Weight Children.

This study examined eating-disordered pathology in relation to psychopathology and adiposity in 162 non-treatment-seeking overweight (OW) and normal weight (NW) children, ages 6-13 years. Participants experienced objective or subjective binge eating (S/OBE; loss-of-control eating), objective overeating (OO), or no episodes (NE). OW children experienced significantly higher eating-disordered cognitions and behaviors than NW children and more behavior problems than NW children: 9.3% endorsed S/OBEs, 20.4% reported OOs, and 70.4% reported NEs. OW children reported S/OBEs more frequently than did NW children (p = .01), but similar percentages endorsed OOs. S/OBE children experienced greater eating-disordered cognitions (ps from     

The Real Relationship Inventory: Development and psychometric investigation of the client form.

The development and validation of a client version of the Real Relationship Inventory (RRI-C) is reported. Using a sample of clients (n = 94) who were currently in psychotherapy, a 24-item measure was developed consisting of two subscales (Realism and Genuineness) and a total score. This 24-item version and other measures used for validation were completed by 93 additional clients. Results of the present study offer initial support for the validity and reliability of the RRI-C. The RRI-C correlated significantly in theoretically expected ways with measures of the client-rated working alliance and therapists' congruence, clients' observing ego, and client ratings of client and therapist real relationship on an earlier measure of the real relationship (Eugster & Wampold, 1996). A nonsignificant relation was found between the RRI-C and a measure of social desirability, providing support for discriminant validity. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the two theorized factors of the RRI-C. The authors discuss the importance of measuring clients' perceptions of the real relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)