The expression of values in group psychotherapy

Abstract

This dissertation was designed to study human interactions which naive judgment suggested would be rich in expressions of value. The project had three phases: First, a process measure was constructed for systematic categorization of value-related expressions in group psychotherapy. Second, inter-rater reliability of the measure was studied and found sufficient to justify the last portion of the study. In the third part of the study, transcripts from 8 group therapy sessions, that had previously been categorized along two dimensions, were analyzed with the newly created measure: Different roles on the part of group participants were identified and studied in terms of associated patterns of value-related expressions in the different kinds of therapy sessions, and within various kinds of transcript units. In interpreting the results, suggestions were made as to how valuation processes are related to stages and progress in group psychotherapy.