Measuring Small Group Process

Abstract

Research on group therapy typically defines one dimension of the therapeutic process (i.e., cohesion, feedback, self-disclosure) in space or evolving through time. As a result, little is learned regarding the interconnectedness, relatedness, or interaction of these important dimensions of what is occurring within the group. In recent years, the articulation of chaos theory-the science of process rather than of state-has unfolded andfound application in the behavioral sciences. In this article, central principles underlying chaos theory are described and the mathematics of chaos are applied to interaction from a short-ternm psychotherapy group. Differences in the pattern of complexity inherent in interactions of group members werefound in the individual sessions when compared to the group as a whole.