The results presented here first address the frequencies of responses, both within the group as a whole and as they pertain to group members and facilitators. Data on the process of interaction within the group, in terms of the direction of responses between group members and facilitators, are then presented.
The main aim of the research was to investigate support processes and interactions as they occurred in the groups, rather than to compare these processes across the two groups. Accordingly, no formal comparison of the results obtained from each group is made. However, data for Group A and B are presented separately, as the differences in the group interaction and style of facilitation are such that to amalgamate the results would obscure the actual nature of the group processes.
Chapter Three: Results
Frequencies of verbal responses
Tables 4 and 5 present the frequencies and percentages of occurrence of the thirteen BIC categories across the three group sessions for Group A and B, reported in each case both for the group as a whole and for group members and facilitators.
Overall frequencies of the BIC categories
The data show that a fifth of the verbal responses in Group A were categorised as Self Disclosure, while in Group B approximately one quarter of responses were categorised in this way. In both groups disclosure behaviours (Self Disclosure and Information Giving) together accounted for approximately one half of all interactions that occurred during the three group meetings, with questioning behaviours (Personal Question, Impersonal Question) accounting for approximately a further quarter. Nine per cent of the interactions in the Group A meetings and 14% of those in Group B meetings were characterised as helping behaviours (Support, Interpretation and Direct Guidance). Comments that were otherwise uncodable (Talk) accounted for 6% of interactions in Group B and 2% in Group A. In both groups affective responses (Agree, Negative), Requests for Guidance, Group Process and Reflections each accounted for 7% or less of comments.
Frequencies of the BIC categories for group members and facilitators
In both Group A and Group B over one third of responses made by group members were characterised as Self Disclosure. Information Giving accounted for a further 42% and 28% of members’ responses in Group A and B respectively, with the result that disclosure behaviours together accounted for 77% and 66% of members’ total responses. 10% or less of members’ responses in both groups were characterised as questions, and 5% as helping behaviours. The remaining responses were characterised as affective responses and otherwise uncodable comments, with 8% of responses or less accorded to each of these categories in each group. No responses by group members in either group were characterised as Group Process or Reflections, and 1% or less were characterised as Requests for Feedback.
In both groups approximately 50% of all facilitator responses were characterised as questions, with Personal Questions accounting for approximately one third. In Group A the next most frequent type of facilitator intervention was Information Giving (22%); in Group B it was Interpretation (28%). Together, helping behaviours accounted for 16% of facilitator responses in Group A and 36% in Group B. In each group the remaining categories (affective responses. Group Process, Talk and Reflections) each accounted for 4% or less of facilitator responses. There were no instances of Self Disclosure or Requests for Feedback by group facilitators.
Significantly, in Group B half of all responses characterised as Support and two thirds of those characterised as Direct Guidance originated from the group members. In Group A approximately one third of responses in each of these two categories originated from the group members. In both groups the third type of helping behaviour. Interpretation, originated in the great majority of cases from the facilitators.
The great majority of disclosures that occurred in both groups originated from the group members, while the majority of questions originated from the group facilitators. However, there were notable group differences: in Group B members were as likely to ask Impersonal Questions as the facilitators, while in Group A only one quarter of Impersonal Questions were asked by group members.
Chapter Three: Results
Table 4. Frequency of verbal responses across three group sessions - Group A
Members Facilitators Total
Frequency (%) Frequency (%) Frequency (%)
Self disclosure 153 (35) 0 (0) 153 (20)
Information giving 185 (42) 72 (22) 257 (33)
Personal question 7 (2) 107 (33) 114 (15)
Impersonal question 19 (4) 60 (18) 79 (10)
Request for feedback 6 (1) 0 (0) 6 (1)
Support 7 (2) 16 (5) 23 (3) Interpretation 2 (<1) 20 (6) 22 (3) Direct guidance 8 (2) 16 (5) 24 (3) Agree 31 (7) 12 (4) 43 (6) Negative 7 (2) 2 (1) 9 (1) Reflection 0 (0) 12 (4) 12 (2) Group process 0 (0) 7 (2) 7 (1) Talk 13 (3) 3 (1) 16 (2) Inaudible 3 (<1) 0 (0) 3 (<1) Total 441 (100) 327 (100) 768 (100)
Table 5. Frequency of verbal responses across three group sessions - Group B
Members Facilitators Total
Frequency (%) Frequency (%) Frequency (%)
Self disclosure 174 (38) 0 (0) 174 (26)
Information giving 126 (28) 17 (8) 143 (22)
Personal question 12 (3) 64 (31) 76 (12)
Impersonal question 33 (7) 32 (15) 65 (10)
Request for feedback 2 (<1) 0 (0) 2 (<1)
Support 15 (3) 14 (7) 29 (4) Interpretation 4 (1) 58 (28) 62 (9) Direct guidance 5 (1) 3 (1) 8 (1) Agree 38 (8) 6 (3) 44 (7) Negative 5 (1) 1 (1) 6 (1) Reflection 0 (0) 1 (1) 1 (<1) Group process 0 (0) 3 (1) 3 (1) Talk 32 (7) 9 (4) 41 (6) Inaudible 7 (2) 0 (0) 7 (1) Total 453 . 11001 _ 208 ___ 661 (100)
Direction of group interactions
More than half of all verbal responses in Group A and over two thirds of those in Group B were made by group members, with a corresponding 43% and 32% of responses made by the facilitators (see Tables 4 and 5). Tables 6 and 7 indicate to whom the responses were directed, with clear differences in the nature of the interaction apparent between the two groups.
Interactions between an individual member and a facilitator account for almost three quarters of all verbal responses that occurred during the three videotaped sessions of Group A, with 39% originating from a group member. A further 19% of responses were directed from a group member either to another member or to the group, with the remaining 9% being directed from a facilitator to the group.
In contrast, almost half of all interactions in Group B were directed between group members, with 22% being directed from one member to another and 25% from a member to the group. A further 46% of interactions occurred between an individual member and a facilitator, with 21% originating from the group member and 25% from the facilitator. The remaining 7% of responses originated from a group facilitator and were directed towards the group. In neither group were there any interactions between facilitators.
It is notable that 68% of responses made by members in Group A were directed towards a facilitator, while in Group B member responses were approximately equally directed towards a facilitator, another group member, or the group as a whole. In both groups 78% of facilitator responses were directed towards an individual group member, with the remainder directed towards the group. Overall, the majority of interactions in the groups involved a facilitator, and most of these occurred between a facilitator and an individual member.
Chapter Three: Results
Table 6. Direction of interactions across three group sessions - Group A
Frequency (%) % of total responses
Member to member 67 (15) 9 Member to facilitator 300 (68) 39 Member to group 74 (17) 10 Total member 441 (100) 57 Facilitator to member 256 (78) 33 Facilitator to facilitator 0 (0) 0 Facilitator to group 71 (22) 9 Total facilitator 327 (100) 43
Table 7. Direction of interactions across three group sessions - Group B
Frequency (%) % of total responses
Member to member 147 (33) 22 Member to facilitator 140 (31) 21 Member to group 165 (36) 25 Total member 452 (100) 68 Facilitator to member 162 (78) 25 Facilitator to facilitator 0 (0) 0 Facilitator to group 47 (22) 7 Total facilitator 209 (100). , 32
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTEND SUPPORT GROUPS FOR