Examined the effects of (1) two levels of risk-taking disposition and (2) four types of pregroup preparation on early group development. High risk takers exposed to the behavioral structure condition were more involved in self-disclosure and interpersonal feedback, reported higher levels of group cohesion, and reported greater perceived depth of…

A developmental framework for initiating group counseling and psychotherapy is presented. On the basis of existing evidence, client risk, responsibility, and group structure were postulated as basic ingredients affecting early group development. Client exposure to levels of personal risk and responsibility most conducive to group development can…

Prior theoretical formulations have suggested that client exposure to levels of personal risk and responsibility most conducive to optimal group development can be regulated with group structure. Analysis of variance results indicated the highest frequency of therapeutically relevant behaviors occurred in the high-structure and high-risk-taking…