A study of early perceptual response tendencies and later change in perception in laboratory training groups with hospitalized psychiatric patients

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1976

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Abstract

Two dimensions of perceptual response. Perceptual Congruence and Response Bias were introduced for exploration in the present research because of their relevance to laboratory training. Perceptual Congruence refers to the amount of agreement between a group participant's perception of a given stimulus and the average group perception of this stimulus. Two types of perceptual congruence were considered: 1 ) Social Sensitivity, which refers to the amount of congruence with the group average in ratings of others, and 2 ) Self-Awareness, which refers to the amount of congruence with the group average in self ratings. Response Bias refers to the amount of consistency with respect to favorability, relative to the group average, shown in ratings of self and others. Subjects for the present study were 183 hospitalized male veteran psychiatric patients participating in laboratory training groups. Subjects rated themselves and other group members on specific group behaviors early and late in the course of training. Additionally, subjects completed a sociometric instrument, participation ratings, and pre/post psychological symptom scales. Results supported the prediction of a positive relationship between Social Sensitivity and acceptance by the group, participation in the group, and Self-Awareness. Subjects manifesting high levels of Social Sensitivity or relatively close agreement with the group average in their ratings of others were highly accepted by the group, showed high levels of participation, expressed high levels of Self-Awareness, and reported relatively few psychological symptoms when compared to subjects showing lower levels of Social Sensitivity. Subjects who overrated themselves, or rated themselves more favorably than the group rated them, received, as predicted, significantly lower levels of acceptance by the group than subjects who underrated themselves. Self-over-raters also showed lower levels of participation in group sessions, lower levels of Social Sensitivity and Self-Awareness, and reported more psychological symptoms than other groups. Unexpectedly, it was found that subjects who overrated others, or consistently rated others more favorably than the group rated them, received significantly lower levels of acceptance by the group and participated significantly less than subjects who consistently underrated others or did not show consistency in their ratings of others. Results regarding change in perception with additional laboratory training were somewhat equivocal. Subjects showing the lowest levels of Social Sensitivity often significantly increased their Social Sensitivity with additional training, but they did not reach the levels shown by subjects initially expressing the highest levels, though these subjects tended to show a slight decrease in Social Sensitivity on the second rating occasion. There was some support for the prediction that subjects showing consistent biases in their ratings of others would increase their levels of Social Sensitivity with additional laboratory training more than subjects who did not show such consistency. This change, however, was not accompanied by the high levels of participation and acceptance by the group which were thought to mediate change. It was found that subjects who underrated others increased their levels of Social Sensitivity and Self-Awareness more than subjects who overrated others. Subjects who overrated themselves, surprisingly, showed more increase in Social Sensitivity than subjects who underrated themselves. Thus, it appears that high acceptance by the group and high participation are not necessary conditions for positive change in perceptual congruence. There were non-significant trends in the data suggesting that subjects who overrated themselves assigned more favorable ratings to others on the first rating occasion than subjects who underrated themselves. Unexpectedly, subjects who overrated themselves did not decrease the favorability of their ratings of others after receiving feedback informing them that others rated them less favorably than they rated themselves. Subjects who underrated themselves tended to increase the favorability of their ratings of others on constructive group behaviors, but seemed to become more critical of others on non-constractive group behaviors after receiving favorable feedback from these others. Self-underrating subjects, as predicted, increased the favorability of their self ratings after receiving feedback. It was concluded that Perceptual Congruence and Response Bias are viable dimensions along which individuals can be meaningfully divided. With future refinement they may be integrated into attempts to improve the quality of laboratory training with psychiatric patient groups.

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