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…

The question whether individual study of risk problems (familiarization) leads to greater risk taking was investigated. Several explanations of the risk taking shifts are explicit in their requirement for group or social interaction. Investigations of whether risk shifts can be produced in the absence of group interaction have produced conflicting…