Back-Home Environment and Within-Group Relationships as Determinants of Personal Change

Abstract

The persistence of change after 1-week sensitivity training groups was studied, using data from 163 British and American trainees. An own-control design was used, in which subjects evaluated change occurring prior to training and five months later. Two criteria of change were employed: subjects' evaluation of their own change, and evaluations of changes in their six most salient relationships. Subjects were also asked to characterize those who most influenced them both within the' group and in back-home settings. The persistence of change was found to be best predicted neither by the quality of relationships within the group, nor by back-home relationships, but by the degree of matching between the two environments. Own-benefit scores were greatest with high matching, whereas relationship-benefit scores were higher where the two environments contrasted. It is concluded that theories of personal change must take greater note of the relation between the T-group setting and the back-home environment than has thus far been the case.