Curative factors in psychotherapeutic and growth groups

Abstract

A 60-item Q-sort that represented 12 "curative factors" regarded as crucial to the efficacy of psychotherapeutic groups by Yalom (1970) was administered to volunteer undergraduate participants after the end of 20-hour (2 hours weekly) personal growth groups. The Q-sort items were ranked very similarly for Helpfulness in the group experience by the growth groupers and by Yalom's successful group psychotherapy outpatients. Members of both kinds of groups linked Helpfulness strongly with Yalom's Interpersonal Input and Catharsis measures. The content of these variables' salient items closely resembled two broader dimensions of interpersonal behavior, Acceptance vs. Rejection of Others and Self-Acceptance vs. Rejection, which appear prepotent (Hurley, 1976) in a wide variety of group settings.