Group Dynamics

GROUP DYNAMICS

4.1 .- BRIEF HISTORY AND DEFINITIONS.

The first hypothesis and analysis of collective phenomena, structures and transformations, are found in the "Republic" of Plato and the "Politics" of Aristotle. The study groups and human relations, has acquired experimental positive and early twentieth century.

Admittedly, psychology and sociology of groups have been driven by major European precursors of the human sciences. These may include: Emile Durkheim, founder of the "Social Dynamics" that contributed to interpretation of collective processes on all scales, Freud, founder of psychoanalysis who revolutionized society with his ideas about neurosis and psychotherapy. Later Kurt Lewin created in 1944, the term "Group Dynamics" and promotes research stream that bears his name (LEWINIANA).

Among the main directions of research in this area of ​​social psychology, we can mention the following:

1 .- The LEWINIANA or dynamic.

2 .- interaction.

3 .- The psychoanalyst.

4 .- The Humanist.



The first one takes account both people and the psychological environment. The group is called to resolve tensions and conflicts and to establish a more or less stable equilibrium. Phenomena and group processes are the subject of theoretical analysis - practical.

The second stream (interaction), is based on systematic observation of the immediate data of the processes that interact with individuals. Its chief representative is Robert Bales.

Psychoanalyst current characterized by the influence of the concepts and models of Sigmond Freud. The main representatives of this trend are: Bion, Balint and Jacques.

The current humanistic views the human being as a whole (holistically) and in constant interaction with their environment. Results from the integration of various theories or approaches, where the center of this integral is the man himself. This is a current integrative and eclectic, as it uses theoretical concepts and practical procedures, as necessary. Among its representatives can be named: WASLON, MURPHY, Roger Willard, among others.

This short version of the history of Group Dynamics, taken from Broto, Archimedes., Introduction to Group Dynamics. (1985), we will describe below, definitions of Group Dynamics, referred to in this work:

... The interplay of forces (positive or negative trend - Valencia) and its resulting effects, are the dynamics of a

Lewin, Kurt

"Dynamics of a group is a term used to refer to many different aspects of the functioning of groups. Basically refers to the forces that interact within these groups are organized and act to achieve their goals."

Shertzer-Stone

Group dynamics: "... refers to the forces acting in each group throughout its existence and makes it behave the way they

Cirigliano-Villaverde

"... The Group Dynamics concerns the processes used by the groups that encouraged problem solving purposes or action."

Herrold, K.

"Group Dynamics ... is an expression that includes the group process and group roles."

Jenkins



Group Dynamics is "... a field of research devoted to acquiring knowledge about the nature of the groups, the laws of their development and their interrelationships with individuals and other groups."

Cartwright Zander



"The group dynamic is the most widespread attempt and influential at the moment, in the study groups."

Olmsted



Group Dynamics, from one point of view is "The theory of the nature of the groups and interaction within groups, and includes a set of techniques."

Klineberg



"... The group dynamics as a discipline, studying the forces that affect group behavior, beginning to analyze the group situation as a whole with its own form (Gestalt)."

Lewin, Kurt

Group Dynamics seeks to explain the internal changes that occur as a result of the forces and conditions that affect groups as a whole. He is also interested to investigate the processes by which individual behavior is modified under the group's experience and try to clarify why certain things happen in groups, why they behave as they do, and why group members react as they react. "

Although there is no agreement among psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists about it - the reality of the groups, this is not a topic of discussion for students of Group Dynamics. Those interested in the scientific study of the groups, no doubt that they exist. This fact is not surprising because the group dynamic is a relatively new area of ​​research. That is why it is conceived in different ways according to different theorists.

Below are the four most frequent uses, which are attributed to:

1) In its most basic sense, is used to describe what is happening in the group at all times. (FOCUS dynamic or dynamic).

2) Also used to describe a field of study, a branch of social science that is dedicated to applying scientific methods to determine why groups behave in the way they do (scientific approach).

3) have been used as a set of basic knowledge accumulated by past research. It is this sense, one could speak of the "discoveries of l Group Dynamics." This body of knowledge can be found in doctoral dissertations, master's in magazine articles and social science journals, monographs, and a growing number of technical books - scientific (FOCUS historical-scientific).

4) Finally, Group Dynamics has come to be used to describe a body of knowledge applied to technologies that attempt to translate discoveries and practical methods (technocratic approach).

In summary, one can define Group Dynamics as a "modern discipline within the field of behavioral changes in I individual members of the group, intra-and inter-group, to formulate theories and laws, and implement appropriate techniques to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the groups.

Cartwright and Zander (1971) define the dynamics of the Group as a research field dedicated to increasing knowledge about the nature of the groups, the laws of their development and their relationships with individuals, other groups and higher institutions. (Quoted in Bernard Mailhiot "Genesis Group Dynamics."

4.2.-PRINCIPLES OR FOUNDATIONS OF GROUP DYNAMICS.

The principles and theoretical foundations of this discipline we find scattered in the context of the social sciences. In this sense, has contributed to its development, expansion and maintenance: sociology, cultural anthropology, group psychology, social psychology, field theory, factor analysis, the formal organization, sociometry, the analysis of the interaction, social work group, the gestalt, psychoanalysis, the movement of human potential development, psychotherapy, family, etc., and recently the third force and humanistic psychology.

In this sense, we have that these principles are: The ambience, the reduction of the notice, distributed leadership, flexibility, understanding of the process, consensus, formulating objectives and continuous evaluation.

Then describes each of this principles:

1) The environment:

The group must interact in a favorable physical environment, how conducive to the type of activity that has developed. Because the environment directly affects the "atmosphere" or "climate" of the group, therefore, must be arranged so as to contribute to participation, spontaneity and cooperation of all members. The place should not be too big or too big or too small, we have to save every last detail, so that group members can be conveniently to exchange ideas, perceptions, feelings fantasies, etc.., Face to face.

2) The reduction of bullying.

Interpersonal relationships should be kind, cordial, frank, open, open, mutual appreciation and collaboration. The fact interact in a group, can produce feelings of fear, inhibition, and shyness hostility, will lead to the intimidation or physical or psychological avoidance of some members of the group. The reduction of tensions and conflicts, enhances the productivity of work groups. Friendly interpersonal relationships, reduce the injunction and allow or provide a change in group dynamics, so conflicts or interpersonal problems become targets of the group (primary process).

3) Distributed Leadership:

Depending on your goals, the groups often require a driver guide or facilitator (leader), that allows tasks or favors the achievement of common goals and objectives to the group. For this reason, that leadership should be distributed or shared among group members. So, everyone in the group tend the opportunity to develop their capacities to Led.

4) Flexibility:

The objectives set by the group, must be completed in accordance with the methods and procedures that have been adopted. However, the needs, circumstances and difficulties may suggest modifications or changes to achieve them. At this time, when the group should assume an attitude of flexibility to adapt to new changes and requirements of the situation.

5) Understanding the Process:

The group members must learn to differentiate the content and process of their own group. Example: when we see "that" is talking about the group (what is said), the focus is on content (information).

When we look at "how" the group is facing its communication ("as they say things"), ie "who talks to whom," "talk to", "When I talk," "AS IS THE TONE OF VOICE "and so on., attention is focused on the group process (action).

Here then are some examples that can help us to differentiate content, group process, and achieve greater theoretical understanding of this principle:



CONTENT

PROCESS

Talking problemasautoridad in high school,

can mean ...

Talking about how bad it is often

department meetings

can mean

That there is a leadership struggle Porel control

among the group of

teachers.

Estándescontentos teachers with

development of their

academic activities.



Summing up a bit, observe the group process, does this attentive to what happens in the group, and seek to understand in terms of other indicators, which have facilitated or revealed by the same members of the group.

6) This principle is fulfilled is given or when the group can establish a communication system, fluid, free and spontaneous. This will avoid antagonism, mating, polarization and the formation of sub-groups. Decision making and problem solving and conflict resolution are made by mutual agreement between all members of the group (consensus). Moreover, friendly interpersonal relationships, a warm spirit of participation and cooperation, encourage decision making by consensus.

7) Formulation of Objectives.

The group's objectives established and defined as clearly as possible, to ensure the smooth running and development of group life. The objectives should meet the needs of all group members, and they should actively participate in its formulation. In this way, he will feel more united, more cohesive and work with more energy and interest in achieving them.

8) Continuous Evaluation:

For the smooth running and development of the life of the group, the group must continually assess whether the objectives and interests of all its members are being achieved as are achieved. To this end, the same group implemented the technique and procedures appropriate to each situation, subject to evaluation. In this sense, we must remember that, "... the group moves to their targets at the speed of the slowest."

4.3 .- PROPERTIES GROUP DYNAMICS

This section refers specifically to the characteristics and properties of the group:

The groups were differentiated and characterized by a number of properties. Thus we have, many of them are: goals, motivations, procedures, number of participants, goals, degree of cohesion, communication system, time duration, types of leadership, decision-making strategies, organizational structure, and a more features, which makes differentiating and deferring to each other. In this sense it is true that we hear talk about: Groups primary, formal, informal, task-based, therapy, personal growth, encounter groups, "T" and so on., However, groups have in common Some general properties.

In this paper, general properties are considered as a group, the following characteristics: The interaction, cohesion, structure, rules and goals of the group.

The following defines each:

Interaction:

This refers to reciprocity between two or more people (reciprocal effect), covers the ways and means through which individuals interact with each other (related) to perform the tasks of development, maintenance and growth of the group. This is a common feature of property or small groups (15 participants maximum), and the most developed in the praxis.

The Cohesion

Is the degree to which a group is attractive for its members, is given by the "sense of belonging" to the group.

It is also defined as a set of forces acting on members of the group, to make them stay there. Cohesion strengthens the bonds of camaraderie and friendship among the members of the group. Research around cohesion, demonstrate that it requires members of a group hold a high moral feelings of belonging and identification with peers, this feature gives underlying the participants of a group.

The Structure:

It refers to the organization and rules of group behavior. This property implies a hierarchical system in which the group gives its members, positions and different roles according to: skills, abilities, knowledge, status, age, etc..

Standards:

Constitute the framework for group behavior. Also defined as conduct rules proposed and accepted by all members for the proper operation, maintenance, growth and development of the group.

Goals:

They are the result expected by the group to achieve the same, members of the group work together. The goals help guide the group's activities in a certain direction and affect one way or another behavior and the personal development of the same group.

All aspects covered by this part, is to form or shape the theoretical framework of group dynamics.

5 .- intervention model.

5.1 .- Gestalt theory

Gestalt is a German word that means the whole, the whole. Designates the philosophical school of psychological thought in Berlin, which has led to a new form of therapy and training for developing human potential, which is difficult and neuroses as congruence, a rupture of gestalt and unity of being, as an emergence of a figure on a background and puts emphasis on how the feelings are experienced in the here and time, on such and not why.

Fritz Perls is regarded as the best example in this approach, people think that every relationship is projective and should be integrated in an interaction. For life can only be a perpetual present, past and future only concepts that we refer in the present.

Direct Gestalt therapy, structured and active customer facing with its contradictions by emphasizing all the people trying to occupy or fill in "holes" and gaps in this totality. But he is convinced that the whole determines the parts: Listen to both what the client says, like how he says it.

To clarify this practice are listed below the fundamental rules of Gestalt groups:

- The rule now: Requires the patient to try to say what they experienced or live now, so you can figure out how he avoids.

- Use "I" and verbs in first person.

- The continuous awareness: physical sensations, emotions and perceptions.

- Distinguish fact from fantasy.

- Use direct language and maintain confidentiality.

- Work with the polarities (Technical otherwise).

- Stay in touch with feelings and emotions.

On the other hand, the group operates when:

- This alert will now always return to this abandoned.

- Prohibits the use of impersonal pronouns.

- Stimulates on absent.

- Provide support, allowing the individual to draw on their own.

5.1.1 .- Basics

Disagreement Salama, H. and Villarreal, R. (1988), the basic concepts of Gestalt theory can be defined as follows:

- Situations Transition: Are those situations for whatever reason were not carried out in full at the time of submission preventing closure of the Gestalt.

- Figure and Background: In any situation there are elements that occupy consciousness at a given time, we call these elements is, the remaining components are the background. This is a dynamic process where change constants figure and ground.

- Total: This concept is borrowed from Gestalt psychology that conceives and all as more the sum of its parts. This is just a human being, who is seen as an integrated whole.

- Awareness: to fully Capture everything that happens in the present, inside and outside the body ... (realizing).

- Here and Now: Awareness of current experience of this emotional, cognitive and physical.

- Maturation: The process used to move from dependence to self-support environment.

- Self-Regulation: The ability of the organism to meet their needs in order to keep his balance or homeostasis in the process of opening and closing gestalt.

- Responsibilities: To initially use this term for the body's ability to respond later with new theoretical developments that concept is transformed in the process of awareness of one's actions.

5.2 .- Methodology of interveci Gestalt.

Gestalt intervention can be classified into three groups, according to Claudio Naranjo (quoted in Lozada, JV, 1988).

- Technical suppressive: Search eliminate or minimize any avoidance of the here and now experience. They are used especially to deal with those forms of boycotting the current experience, such as:

¨ verbalize and intellectualized.

¨ "Sobreismos."

¨ "Debeismos."

¨ manipulations.

- Technical expressive, seeking expression and action, like verbalization. That person will realize, recognize, identify its forms of expression capabilities. Maximize the experience of the here and now.

- Techniques of integration: Seek to integrate the parts aligned, they are fragmented. For example, the empty chair, meeting with polarities and identification of elements projected.

Other techniques of Gestalt work is the use of fantasies, dreams and projections. What is essential in this work is that the person to contact with the contents of his fantasy, dream or part planned and can thus explore the content, put it, realize it and integrate it into their life experience.

This type of work in Gestalt psychotherapy has the following purposes (Lozada, JV (1988).

- Establish contact with an event, a feeling or personal characteristics resisted.

- To explore the unknown, new or unusual aspects of individuals.

For work in Gestalt, is also important to note: avoid them, the changes, stagnation, self - support versus environmental support, the relationship I - environment, barriers and frustrations, emotional disposition and degree of commitment person.

5.3 .- Creative Process Gestalt

For Sinker, J. (1979), the therapeutic process is creative because it is a meeting of the person itself, which enables it to meet all his inner wealth. The objective of this work is to help your patient to become aware of himself, his emotions and experiences, and learn to recognize responsibility for their life or their power of decision.

In achieving this objective, the person goes through a cycle of consciousness - excitement - contact, known as Sinker energy curve. The stages by which the person goes through this cycle are: Withdrawal, sensation, awareness, mobilization of energy, action, contact and withdrawal, graphically represented as follows:



Mobilisation Action for Energy Awareness

Contact Sensation





Salama, H. (1988), in his Gestalt Approach, pg. 29, describes each of these phrases, as follows:

1) Rest or withdrawal: At this stage the individual has already solved a gestalt or earlier need and is no pressing need. Their behavior can be total relaxation or total concentration. The pathological extreme of this state is represented by autism.

2) Feeling: The person is distracted from its previous resting state, feeling physically "something" that, at this stage, yet can not define or differentiate, for example, feels and perceives movement noises in her stomach cavity, but still do not know if it was an upset stomach caused by food eaten that morning or if what happens is that just because you're hungry again.

3) Consciousness (awareness): Continuing the previous example, here the individual sees his watch and "realizes" it's lunchtime, so consent or understand is that your stomach is calling u care I eat. At this stage the individual raises awareness or understanding what should be the feeling you have and at this point and call hunger or sadness, anger, etc..

4) Energizing or mobilization of energy: The person mobilizes energy, ie, brings the strength or concentration necessary to carry out what needs demand.

5) Action: The practice is most important at this stage, that is, the individual moves his body and do whatever it takes to meet your needs.

6) Contact: The culmination of the process is achieved in reaching this stage, the person finds satisfaction and enjoys having achieved what he wanted. This stage ends when the individual experiences that are satisfied, and that feels good, you can start another cycle and say goodbye to you.

But this cycle can be interrupted by the defense mechanisms of the person presenting what is known as locks, which prevent the passage and the conclusion of the cycle, leaving open the Gestalt. This puts the individual in different reactions, which may become unbalanced and serves to explain the psychopathology, however, as this area of ​​study is not related to the objective of this work, will not be discussed.

The therapeutic usefulness of this theory has been proven on several occasions. Knowing what stage of the cycle the patient is locked, is the work of therapy to make the person aware of your block and advance to the next higher stage, ie approaching the end of the cycle, This implies a greater understanding of herself. Although at the end of a cycle is entering a stage of withdrawal, after the completion. It starts a new cycle.

5.4 .- The Gestalt therapist

Taking into account the characteristics of Gestalt therapy, arguably the therapist's tasks are as follows, according to Fagan, J. And Shepard (1973):

- Pautamiento: Develops standards to meet clients in psychotherapy.

- Control: It is able to persuade the patient to follow the procedures laid down by him.

- Power: Able to accelerate and bring about change in his patient, towards a positive direction.

- Humanity: The therapist is involved in the therapeutic situation. The patient is interested in a personal and emotional level.

- Commitment to the profession: the experience concomitant with the continued development of their understanding and ability.

All the considerations described above along the theoretical framework, have to reflect on the difficulties people in their relationships with others within our society, a situation that could be improved to some extent by training assertive behavior, which in turn foster a more authentic communication with yourself and with people with whom they relate, being possible to maintain productive and effective interactions. From this arises the interest in learning and group work may influence the development of assertive behavior and therefore valid communication among students.

In one group psychotherapy approaches more to do with assertiveness training is the Gestalt theory, the main principles promote the integral development of man, the authentic expression of their feelings in the here and now, as well as the ability to issue behaviors with those feelings and / or emotions.

Furthermore, the techniques applied in gestalt psychotherapy enable a variety of group experiences and experiences in the present, to facilitate awareness of individual problems, as well as the ability to manage or modify them. These techniques include the "expressive techniques", which facilitates the growth of assertive behaviors to communicate.