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ABSTRACT
The Group Selection Questionnaire (GSQ) has been shown to predict which individuals will improve during group psychotherapy. The present study sought to quantitatively and qualitatively describe those who are predicted to benefit (low scorers) and not benefit (high scorers) from group, based on their GSQ scores. High and low scorers were selected from two samples-a "non-clinical" group of undergraduates in an introductory psychology course and a "clinical" group of clients from a university counseling center. Analyses of differences in GSQ scores and interview transcripts indicated that low scorers anticipated benefits from groups, found it easy to share feelings and opinions, felt they were a part of groups, and described themselves as open. High scorers reported being passive, private, reserved, and unlikely to share feelings.
For many years group therapy has been widely accepted as an effective modality for the treatment of distressed individuals (Burlingame, MacKenzie, & Strauss, 2004). However, research also suggests some clients benefit more from group therapy than others, and that some clients may even deteriorate during the course of treatment (Hoffman et al., 2003). These findings beg the question, "Who benefits from group, and how can they be identified?"
According to Piper (1994), client characteristics are the most salient factor influencing group outcomes, but research on this point has produced only mixed results. Piper conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on selecting clients for group treatment and identified a few paper and pencil measures that had been modestly successful in selecting clients. Some of these early attempts include: the Counseling Readiness Scale (CRS; Heilbrun 8c Sullivan, 1962), thejourard Self-Disclosure Scale (JSS; Jourard, 1961), the Palo Alto Group Therapy Scale (PAGTS; Truax, 1971), and the Salzberg Group Psychotherapy Screening Scale (SGPSS; Salzberg, 1969; Salzberg 8c Heckel, 1963). Out of twelve studies, Piper found one that predicted which clients would remain in therapy, two that predicted process variables, and five related to outcome. Thus, of published studies using self-report questionnaires, two-thirds showed promise for identifying clients who later benefited from group therapy. While certainly not devoid of potential, the lack of replication for these findings along with length and format of the measures have led some researchers to conclude that "in general, formal screening measures have not been found to be...