What are the characteristics of both a heterogeneous and homogenous group?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are two general approaches to combining members of a group: the heterogeneous approach and the homogeneous approach. The heterogeneous or mixed-gender group addresses fundamental assumptions for creating groups composed of both men and women. The heterogeneous group is a microcosm of society, self-defeating behavior can be identified and confronted more easily in a group approximating the composition of society, the group focus is on the present rather than on the past, reality testing can and does occur, and the heterosexual group situation generates anxiety that produces change. A homogeneous group consists entirely of members of a given population or members who share a specific need, concern, or situation; for example, a women’s recovering group (WRG) for substance use disorders are homogenous in two ways (Greenfield et al., 2014). The cohesiveness theory underlies this approach to group composition and supports the idea that similarity of members can lead to a great deal of cohesion, openness, and exploration of issues (Perrone & Sedlacek, 2000).