Define the term nonspecific factors and provide two examples of specific factors that contribute to efficacy in group counseling

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Nonspecific factors of counseling are the change-producing elements in counseling, regardless of theoretical orientation.

a . Working alliance. Substantial empirical evidence indicates that a working alliance (also called a working relationship) is an important component in all counseling. Actually, working alliance scores are the best known predictor of counseling outcomes (Horvath, 2000). Bordin (1994) defined the working alliance as having three equal and interacting components: (1) Goal (collaboration on the goals of counseling), (2) Task (collaboration on the tasks of counseling), and (3) Bond (mutual affective bonding). Group process stimulates the unfolding of the working alliance in all clients (Glatzer, 1978). In group counseling, both client-therapist and client-group (as a whole) working alliance have been found to be predictive of outcome (Compare, Tasca, Lo Coco, & Kivlighan, 2016).

b. Curative factors. Even though working alliance theory has had an enormous impact on individual counseling research, its impact upon group counseling research has been limited. Most of the literature on the nonspecific factors in group counseling has focused on Yalom's (1985) curative factor theory, which postulated that the following 11 curative factors operate in group counseling. The 11 factors are: instillation of hope, universality, imparting information, altruism, corrective recapitulation of the primary family group, development of socializing techniques, imitative behaviors, interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, catharsis, and existential factors.

c. Group development. Fundamental to the assessment of group progress and outcome is to understand the stages of group development (Zimpfer, 1984). Most research on group development has been based upon Tuckman's (1965) five-stage theory, which he identified as: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Maples (1988) refined Tuckman's work through 5 years of data collection, and from an analysis of her data, she developed a 20-substage model designed as a star. At each stage, or point of the star, Maples offered definitions that can be used in practice to better evaluate clinical progress.

d. Leadership. Group leadership research fills the counseling literature, as group leadership involves the interaction of so many features of group counseling that it defies any simple definition (Stockton & Morran, 1982). Furthermore, confusion continues to surround leadership functions and their relationship to the therapeutic gains that group members make (Conyne, Harvill, Morganett, Morran, & Hulse-Killacky, 1990). Regardless of the counselor’s technique, however, when the counselor's attitudes are acceptable to the client, the client is more likely to report positive therapeutic outcomes (Beutler, Jobe, & Elkins, 1974).