Jill D. Paquin

Predicting Group Attendance Using in-Session Behaviors

A session-level analysis examines the relationship between intimate behaviors of an individual group member and of the other group members in a session, and individual group member attendance in the following session. Specifically, the model proposed by Kenny, Mannetti, Pierro, Livi, and Kashy (2002) for analyzing individual and group effects in small groups is used to examine session attendance in 575 group sessions for 30 group members in 5 interpersonal growth groups. Either being the member who enacted the most or least intimate behaviors in a session, or having a relatively lower level of intimate behaviors by the other group members in a session, decreases the likelihood that a group member would attend the following group session. These findings are interpreted in terms of Yalom and Leszcz’s (2005) ideas about being a group outlier and the importance of group context. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

If You Get Better, Will I? An Actor-Partner Analysis of the Mutual Influence of Group Therapy Outcomes

The effectiveness of group psychotherapy has been empirically studied and supported over several decades; however, there remains much to understand regarding the specific factors contributing to effective group psychotherapy. The current study uses Kashy and Kennys (2000) actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) to examine the relationship between an individual group members outcome and the outcomes of the other group members. This is the first study to examine the effects of the outcomes of other therapy group members on those of individual members. Specifically, we examined the relationship between an individual group members presymptom score, the aggregated presymptom scores of the other group members, and the aggregated pre- to postsymptom change of the other group members on an individual group members pre- to postsymptom change. We analyzed the change in pre-post posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of 105 women in 16 trauma-informed groups in a womens correctional facility. As hypothesized, an individuals presymptom measure (actor effect) and the aggregated presymptom measures of the other group members (partner effect) were positively related to the individuals change in PTSD symptoms. Contrary to our hypothesis, the aggregated pre-post change in PTSD symptom measures of the other group members (partner effect) was negatively associated with the pre-post change in PTSD symptom measures of an individual group member. Social comparison theory is discussed as an explanation for why a group member would report lowered amounts of change when in a group with others who are reporting a higher amount of change. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

All Absences Are Not the Same: What Happens to the Group Climate When Someone is Absent From Group?

ABSTRACT Clinical wisdom dictates that group member absences are harmful to the group; however, this has not been empirically examined. How do group member absences affect the group’s climate, and do absences earlier or later in a group’s life differentially impact group climate? The current study examined the relationship between group member absence and the climate perceptions for attending members, during earlier and later sessions in a group’s development. As hypothesized, a significant interaction was found for group climate and time such that absences during early sessions were significantly related to higher levels of engagement and lower levels of avoidance (a more productive group atmosphere), while absences during later sessions were related to lower levels of engagement and higher levels of avoidance. Implications are discussed.

Sharing wisdom: Challenges, benefits, and developmental path to becoming a successful therapist-researcher

The scientist-practitioner model encourages counseling psychologists to integrate research and psychotherapy practice professional roles, but knowledge about how professionals integrate clinical and research roles is limited. In addition, we know little about how counseling psychologists specifically integrate these roles. The current study utilizes a consensual qualitative research approach to analyze a discussion among prominent counseling psychologist therapist-researchers about how they have integrated these roles within their careers. Results revealed benefits and challenges faced by therapist-researchers. In addition, domains identified included the process and development of becoming a therapist-researcher, comparisons among each professional skill, and beliefs about being a therapist-researcher. General and typical themes articulated by the sample included: the idea that doing research iteratively informs clinical work and vice versa, that institutions can and should support integrating research and practice, and that doing research and being a clinician positively affect each other. Future directions for research and limitations of the data are included.

Delivering the Treatment so That the Therapy Occurs: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Time-Limited, Manualized Group Treatments

ABSTRACT Group therapy has been shown to be effective for treating a variety of problems, across particular treatment approaches. However, interesting questions about how group therapy helps people persist, given that little variance in client outcomes has been found to be attributable to the particular brand of therapy or treatment protocol. At the same time, treatments that are both empirically supported and efficient are in demand. Therefore, the present article reviews research related to transtheoretical constructs that can be applied to enhance the effectiveness of any short-term, manualized group therapy treatment. Specifically, research related to group therapy effectiveness, common or therapeutic factors models, group stage development theory, key interpersonal processes, and constructs from the multicultural competency literature are reviewed. Examples of how these principles might be applied in practice to a specific therapy group are also provided.

Introduction to a special issue on clinician–researchers: a career engaged in both therapy research and practice1

Abstract This special issue is devoted to understanding the experiences of professionals who both conduct therapy research and provide psychotherapy. To introduce this special issue, I first provide a brief overview of the potential significance of this topic, including my personal interest in this type of career, and the genesis of this special issue. Next, I address the prevalence of this kind of career among psychologists. I then discuss each of the six papers presented in this special issue, including salient themes connecting these authors’ works. Finally, informed by this scholarship and the research of others, I present a model for helping to conceptualize the various ways of being a clinician–researcher and conclude with a list of key points of learning, including recommendations for future inquiry.

The Mutual Influence of Therapy Group Members’ Hope and Depressive Symptoms

The current study sought to further explore the theoretical model of mutual influence among therapy group members, which postulates that group members influence one another and that this influence is a key component of group treatments. However, a recent finding suggested that group members’ adjusted posttreatment outcomes were not significantly related. The current study reexamined mutual influence by testing this relationship in a markedly different sample on two outcome variables, depression and hopelessness. The data consisted of 78 HIV+ men participating in six therapy groups in a Taiwanese correctional facility. Contrary to our hypothesis, the relationship between an individual group member’s posttreatment depression and the aggregated depression scores of the other group members was not significant. As hypothesized, the relationship between an individual group member’s posttreatment hope and the aggregated sense of hope of the other group members was significant.