Running head: GROUP ANALYSIS PAPER 1

Group Analysis Paper

Wayne State University
Group #1:
Brian Allen, Keaton Bumgardner , Deidre Crosby-Davis, Bryan Day, Michelle
Hill and Heather Warczinsky



















GROUP ANALYSIS PAPER 2

This paper analyzes the treatment group development process from the beginning phase
until the ending phase. The analysis consists of the assessment process, group dynamics that
were evident in the sessions, impressions of the group from the group leaders perspective, plan
of action, and the ending phase.
Assessment
What is the significance of this session to the groups development as a whole and to the
members?
According to Toseland and Rivas, Most writers suggest that the beginning stages of
groups are concerned with planning, organizing, and convening. To begin, groups are
characterized by an emergence of group feelings. However, the feelings of the group often do
not emerge without a struggle. (2012, p. 91). As tension and conflict develop because of the
diversity of members, Dr. Bruh does a great job by encouraging members to be respectful of one
another and aids to resolve conflict by assisting the group with developing norms and mediating
differences to find common ground. As the beginning stage progresses and norms and roles are
differentiated, members explore and test the roles they are beginning to assume in the group.
(Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 92). With this, comes conflict. Encountering and dealing with
conflict is a normal step in the process of the group development. Dr. Bruhs intervening helped
members feel comfortable with one another and helped define the group purpose. Dr. Bruh also
aids and directs by stepping in when necessary and letting the group dynamics establish patterns
of interaction so that group cohesion and interpersonal relationships may appear.
How did the group change as a result of this group session?
The cohesion and interpersonal relationships started to appear as each member was
receiving negative and positive feedback. This began in episode 5 when Jay received negative
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feedback from Mickey and Mr. Clyde about the difficulty of getting things accomplished with
Jay in the room. Afterwards, Jay received positive feedback from Carl when he stated that he is
just expressing himself. Dr. Bruh then asks Carl if he has a problem with Jay in order to place
emphasis on the positive feedback. Prior to this, feedback between each group member was
generally negative. This has allowed the group to start focusing on task accomplishment and
positive interactions.
How did the group change as a result of this group session?
The group began to change because of the communication and feedback from each of the
members. This dialogue was able to relate the diverse group members with one another and also
assisted in allowing each member identify the importance of reaching their full potential.
Was the change a positive one in terms of the groups development?
The change is a positive one because at first, each member did not know why he was
there and only exhibited negative feedback towards the other members. As the session moved
along, the members were able to have positive feedback as their communication flowed and they
were able to make connections with each other. As this change takes place, each member is
starting to get an idea of why they are there.
Group Dynamics Evident in these Sessions
During these sessions, each group member brought their outer self to the dynamic system
and they all proceed through the system with their social roles. This was a treatment group where
each member of the group was dealing with a specific issue in their life. Group dynamic was
evident in each session and gradually changed during the middle and ending phases.
GROUP ANALYSIS PAPER 4

Group Goals and Hidden Agendas
An important thing to do as an external leader is to introduce group members to one
another in order to form the group. In addition, it is crucial to be sure that each member actively
participates while having a feeling of safety and trust with each other and with the facilitator. In
order for the group to open up about how they are feeling, the external leader must set ground
rules so that there is clarity in what the group is to expect. As an external leader you have to
make sure that the question, Why are we here? is asked so that the group members are able to
respond appropriately. In order for all of these objectives to be achieved, there must be clear a
clear structure outlined and conveyed by the leader.
Dr. Bruh set a clear structure in order to allow the group the change to achieve
objectives. He welcomed the entire group and explained what was to be expected throughout the
duration of the session in addition to stating what they could hopefully obtain from participating
in the group. He also had each group member go around the room to introduce themselves and
explain Why they were there. This technique allowed each group member break the ice and to
begin dialogue from the very beginning. During the introductions Dr. Bruh redirects the group
several times by telling them that there are rules and that everyone needs to show respect to one
anothe. By doing this, Dr. Bruh aids in being sure that each member feels that they are in a safe
environment and that they are valued within the group. Dr. Bruh also lets each group member
know that he is listening to every word they say by showing empathetic responding and using
nonverbal gestures through eye contact and head nodding. By doing this, Dr. Bruh brings the
group together and helps them feel like they can trust him. This also allows the group to
eventually start opening up and communicating more freely. At one point, Dr. Bruh told the
group to "listen up" because what was being said could be useful to them. By saying this, Dr.
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Bruh focuses on the goal of everyone learning something from one another through active
listening. Also, towards the middle and ending phase, the group began to develop a working
phase and was able to work out problems without Dr. Bruh intervening and redirecting as he had
to do in early phases.
Group Norms
Group norms consist of a collection of values within the group. This helps to provide the
group with the guidelines of what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. According to
Toseland & Rivas, Norms develop as the group develops (2012, p. 54). In other words, the
norms progress directly as members perceive each others behavior in the group and as members
express their views and beliefs during the course of group interaction. During the sessions, each
group member illustrated a different role and behaved differently. This lead to many disruptions
within the group and helped bring different personalities within the group. Dr. Bruh maintained
his role as the external leader and was responsible for building a rapport and providing
empathetic responses to group members. This helped the group communicate and open up more
comfortably with one another while feeling safe and secure within the group.
Jay was the deviant member of the group because he was disruptive and had
inappropriate comments towards the other group members every time they spoke. Jay
consistently made his group members feel uncomfortable as he was in a constant power/control
struggle within the group. By doing this, he is distracting from his own issues by keeping the
focus away from himself and on his disruptive behavior.
Clyde was often defensive because he refused to admit that he had any problems and
would not accept responsibility for his part in any problems. Other group members frequently
GROUP ANALYSIS PAPER 6

attacked and confronted him and would ultimately ignore him. Carl played more of an internal
leader because he would easily assume a leadership role during many situations and issues. Carl
was able to start a discussion and involve everyone whether they agreed or not. Herb and Mickey
assumed the roles of scapegoats during the session because they were both verbally attacked by
Jay in many instances, which made them feel uncomfortable and unable to express how they
really felt. Herb remained quiet regressed throughout the second phase of the session unless he
was directly addressed by Dr. Bruh. Mickey also played the role of being a defensive member
because he felt that he didnt have a problem and was in denial on why he was attending the
sessions.
Towards the middle and ending phases, Dr. Bruh was able to facilitate the group to
become more successful and to function more as a group because he was consistent and was able
to get the group to trust each other. Dr. Bruh allowed exchanges between members without
commenting or intervening and established control of the group. Jay became more monopolizing
when he continuously picked up the discussions and would not listen to other people as he cut
them off and created a negative reaction within the group. Again, this was a way that Jay would
cover up his feelings, avoid the problem, etc. Herb and Mickey were more quiet members as
they remained reclusive during discussions in the middle and ending phase. Clyde became more
verbal and confrontational with Jay. Carl remains the internal leader in the group became more
of a leader in a positive way by sticking up for other members when Jay would say something
derogatory.
Level of Cohesiveness
During the beginning phase, being a new group and meeting each other for the first time
lead to a multitude of different personalities in one room. It was not easy to immediately
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develop or establish trust and there was often a struggle of power and control within the group.
When introductions took place, the two that made a connection right away were Carl and Jay.
Jay and Carl represented a cohesion and unified relationship because during the introduction Jay
already knew Carl from when he played in the pros. Jay continued to have an invasive and
disruptive behavior towards each group member because he was trying to take the attention off
of his own serious issues and instead placed emphasis on his behavior instead.
During the middle and ending phase, the group began to come together as one and
communicated amongst each other throughout their own problems without having Dr. Bruh
stepping in as much. Through this, the group was able to demonstrate mutual aid and group
cohesion by working through the group process in order to build trust that could empower them
to start displaying signs of a successful group. As group members argue and defend each other,
they began to realize they are alike in some ways and share some commonalities. This is a
necessary step in building cohesion. A level of trust is starting to be recognized in the group and
the group members are starting to demonstrate positive sanctions towards each other. For
example, when Carl said, let the man express himself", mutual aid was demonstrated by helping
each other and offering suggestions to one another. Another example of this was when Clyde
said that Mickey looks like a smart and educated man and that he needs to take control over his
house. Clyde became willingly engaged and members came together proving that trust and
cohesion was being built and implemented.
Group Climate
In the beginning phase, the climate was uncomfortable, unsettling, and hostile. Group
members were unfamiliar with each other and each of their personalities collided. During the
middle and ending phase, members began to accept each other for who they were, as a person.
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Even though there continued to be interruptions and bickering, the amount decreased greatly and
active listening was still able to occur.
Group Culture
Although everyone in the group was the same race, it was still an extremely diverse
group. Everyone in the group was raised differently and there were defined differences in
socioeconomic class between some members. The diversity really showed through in the way
each of the members behaved. Social learning theory can be applied here because it indicates that
human behavior is learned as individuals interact with their environment. In other words,
individuals behaviors depend on how they were raised and/or what their environment was like
growing up. In the beginning phase, the group members were all about themselves and didnt
think they had any problems. Each of them had different labels that separated themselves from
the others. For instance, Divine played in the NFL, but is now spreading the love of God
everywhere he goes. Jay, a.k.a. J-Smooth, claimed that he is a rapper while Mickey identifies
himself as a white collar worker, who has a white girlfriend who walks all over him. Clyde is an
entrepreneur and a strong black man and Herb is a socialite who is extremely computer savvy
and only has friends and girlfriends online. In the middle and ending phase, individual members
shifted and became one group that grew together and built different relationships between each
other. Dr. Bruh made sure to recognize their feelings and credit them for their work while
continuing to maintain their focus and roles within the group.
Impressions
What do you think and feel about what transpired in the group session?
GROUP ANALYSIS PAPER 9

When the group first met, there wasnt a lot of interaction occurring. In fact, the only
time there was discussion or exchanges is when Dr. Bruh directly addressed the members and
asked them a question. Dr. Bruh begins by asking each member to discuss why they are there.
Herb, Clyde, Mickey and Carl all say they are unsure while Jay is the only one who admits that
he is there for a reason. Although, Jay says that it is his mom who made him come, he still
acknowledges and agrees that there are issues at home. It is very apparent right away that Jay is
going to be a distraction to the group as he talks out of turn and uses demeaning and rude
terminology. The distractions that Jay causes showed a struggle for control and power in the
group. During this, Jay kept attention on his behaviors, which resulted in his avoidance of talking
and participating in the group.
It didnt take long for the group to begin to interact, however the interactions were not
always positive. Jay constantly interrupted everyone and was very disrespectful to the other
members. He laughed at Herb and Mickey and had a hostile exchange with Clyde. Throughout
the first few episodes, there was a lot of tension and the dynamic seemed to be the group versus
Jay. This demonstrated group sanctions, which occurs when a group starts to have some
cohesion and learn of their commonalities, and in this specific instance, they all have Jays
disruptiveness in common.
It was difficult for some members to listen to Jay call his mother a hoe and refer to
women as bitches. This decreased the level of comfort of other group members as Jay
continued to be disrespectful and used degrading comments towards group members each time
they spoke.
Even with all of the disruptions and hostility, there was progression that evolved within
the group. Carl stuck up for Mickey when he was talking about his relationships and when Jay
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attempted to interrupt Mickey, Carl told him to give him some space so that he could talk.
Another step toward working as a group was when Jay told Carl about his experience growing up
without a father and said that Carl really needed to make an effort to be a father to his eight kids.
Instead of being rude to Carl, he spoke from his heart about his own experience and had a
breakthrough of open communication.
In the last few episodes, the men continued to be more interactive which allowed Dr.
Bruhs direction to decrease. During this time, Jay continues to have the most positive
interactions with Carl. In addition, Clyde begins participating in conversations without any
prompting from Dr. Bruh; another breakthrough for the group and its level of dynamic.
This group made a lot of progress and really opened up to sharing their feelings with one
another however, they still have a long way to go. Distractions continued to be prevalent and a
lot of disrespect between certain members remains. They go back and forth from supporting each
other to struggling and fighting for power and control; this shows their growth process.
Plan of Action
How Do You Plan to Change Your Groups Behavior?
Many techniques are available for Dr. Bruh to change the groups behavior. Some of the
techniques include facilitating norms, using open and close ended questions, and conflict
mediation within the group. In the beginning stage, conflict mediation happens frequently. In one
instance, Dr. Bruh mediated a conflict when Mr. Clyde referenced Jay and said that he was tired
of hearing black men ask for handouts. Jay asked what Clyde what he knew about being black
before Dr. Bruh interferingly raised his hand and asked the group who wanted a hand out. Closed
ended questions were used when Dr. Bruh wanted to gain specific information. An example of
Dr. Bruh using a closed ended question in the beginning stage, in order to clarify content, was
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when Jay discussed his relationship with women, specifically his mother. Dr. Bruh asked Jay,
were you referring to your mother as a hoe? in order to be sure that he was interpreting Jays
communication accurately. Open ended questions were used for the purpose of Dr. Bruh being
able to gather more information. An example during the middle stage was when Dr. Bruh asked
Mickey, What defines you as a man? Dr. Bruh was also able to facilitate norms within the
group when he asked each group member if they wanted a hand out and each member answered
that they did not.
A group involves various dynamics that Dr. Bruh had to be aware of. These include
power struggles, control, trust and self-disclosure. In order for the group to develop in the
beginning stage, Dr. Bruh had to take on the role of an enabler. An enabler helps members
utilize their own resources and strengths and encourages members to share their thoughts with
the groupsupports a culture of mutual aid among members (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p.
285). By redirecting members who monopolize the group and by acknowledging someone's
issues and redirecting the issue back to the group, Bruh is able to fulfill the role of being an
enabler. An example of Dr. Bruh utilizing this skill was when he redirected the group when Carl
stated that he has 8 children. Jay stood up and said that he was from a single parent family and
that spending time with family is important. Dr. Bruh had to redirect the group by bringing
members together and asking if they all agreed that having children is a beautiful thing. Dr. Bruh
demonstrated being a leader in the beginning stage when he established the rules of the group
and said, I wanted to say some quick rules and that since we are all men there needs to be
respect. He reiterated the sentiment again when he said, the foundation of the group is about
respect. During the middle stage, Dr. Bruh reinforced the groups common goal when he said,
there is something that is keeping each of you from reaching your full potential and the goal of
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the group is to uncover some of these things. It may not feel good, but I want all of you to be
committed and work together and not pull in opposite directions.
What needs to happen for your group to be more effective?
The beginning stage has a great deal of opportunity for the group to become more
effective. The workers primary goals are to help members to feel comfortable in the group, to
work together in a cooperative and productive manner, and to feel that their unique contributions
to the group is respected and appreciated (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 199). This is not an easy
task for Dr. Bruh or any group leader however, there are skills that can help a group leader like
Dr. Bruh fulfill the beginning stages purpose. To accomplish these goals it is helpful to:
facilitate member introductions, clarify the purpose and function of the group, discuss and clarify
the limits of confidentiality, help members to feel they are a part of the group, guide the
development of the group, balance task and socio-emotional aspects, set goals, contact for work,
facilitate members motivation and ability to work in the group, address ambivalence and
resistance, work with mandated clients, anticipate obstacles, monitor and evaluate the
group (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 199).
The middle stage of treatment is characterized by an initial period of testing, conflict,
and adjustment as members work out their relationships with one another and the larger
group (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 267). In the sessions with Dr. Bruh, as with any other
group, activities can help the group become more effective. The seven activities include:
preparing for group meetings, structure the groups work, involving and empowering group
members, helping members to achieve goals, using empirically based treatment methods,
working with reluctant and resistant group members, and monitoring and evaluating the group s
progress (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 267).
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The skills workers use in the ending stage determine, in part, the success of the entire
group process (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 398). A group leader can utilize tasks to become
more effective. A variety of tasks are associated with ending a group as a whole: learning from
members, maintaining and generalizing change efforts, reducing group attraction and promotion
the independent functioning of individual members, helping members deal with their feelings
about ending, planning for the future, making referrals, evaluating the work of the
group (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 404).
Based on your observation of diversity, how do you plan to respond?
This group, upon first glance, had many things in common; they are all male, African
American adults. However, diversity exists within all groups; Dr. Bruhs group shows clear
evidence of economic and religious diversity. An example of economic diversity is between Jay
and Clyde. Jay stated, he is only able to eat fish sticks and potato chips for Thanksgiving
dinner, while Mr. Clyde has a family that wants for nothing. An example of diversity in
relation to expressing religious beliefs relates to Carl wanting to discuss religion with the other
group members while they are unresponsive to him. Dr. Bruhs plan was to redirect the
conversation to the main topic of how the group members perceive themselves. When planning
to respond to diversity within a group, it is important for the group leader to be sensitive to the
diversity (Toseland & Rivas, 2012, p. 149). A group leader should utilize a strength based
perspective, centering on the cultural as well as the members strengths (Toseland & Rivas, 2012,
p. 149). A group leader could also find it is often useful to acknowledge the differences that
exist in the group and to explore the experiences that members may have in common (Toseland
& Rivas, 2012, p. 150).
Ending Phase
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Social Workers Behaviors in the Middle and Ending Phase
Just as the group members behaviors evolved, so did Dr. Bruhs. In the middle phase of
the session, Dr. Bruh was continuing to mediate many conflicts between each member. In
addition, he was also attempting to create norms and similarities between the members while
asking questions that allowed members to be open and elaborate on more. Dr. Bruhs
relationship with group members remained nonjudgmental and non-biased as more information
was disclosed by specific members. This allowed a feeling of comfort and trust to be established,
which ultimately aided to the continuation of communication in the group, as a whole. In the
end, these behaviors assisted in allowing the group to be more independent with the way it
functioned. Dr. Bruh did not have to facilitate and direct the group as strongly as he did in the
earlier phases. The amount of intervening that occurred from Dr. Bruh steadily decreased as he
observed the group function without heavy guidance.
Members Role in Terms of Denial or Acceptance
In the latter phase, group members appear to be much more accepting of their purpose
within the group. In the beginning, each member questioned their involvement with the group
and denied any associations as they discriminated against one another. There continued to be
struggles of accepting intrapersonal interventions as members focused on each others problems
rather than their own, though. Dr. Bruh and other members continuously questioned each other
of their flaws, such as each members perspective of women and their relationship with women,
and each member remained adamant of their views and thoughts of the topic. This shows that the
group members continue to be in denial of needing to make any changes within their personal
lives and thoughts; Clydes idea of a mans role in the home did not change, Jay continued to use
disrespectful and derogatory language when referring to women, Mickey remains constant in his
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thoughts and views of himself and his relationship, Herb believes he has many girlfriends and
that talking to them solely online is find, and Divine continuously preaches about spreading
Gods word, although his relationships within his life arent on the best terms.




















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References
Toseland, Ronald., & Rivas, Robert. (2012). An Introduction to Group work Practice.
(6th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn/Bacon.
Shulman, Lawrence. (2009). The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups and
Communities (6th ed.). Itasca, IL: Peacock Publishing.