Blog 4

What are the problems in determining whether group developmental stages can be measured?

In the article by Brabeder & Fallon, they address certain conceptual and methodological problems in measuring stages of group development. One of the conceptual problems mentioned is finding suitable operational definitions for what you are measuring. Another problem they mentioned is that it is hard to create good instruments to measure different aspects of group development or behavior. For example, it would be difficult to measure different types of conflict with groups. I think a good example of how problematic these issues can be is through a study done by Pazos, Micari & Light, (2010). They constructed an instrument to measure problem-solving in peer led groups in an academic setting. They had to operationally define all of their terms and create a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating the group interactions to measure a specific aspect of group interactions.

In addition, there are several methodological problems in measuring group developmental stages. Wheelan’s (2005) study on internal dynamics showed that research about group development can be painstaking and very time consuming. Also, while this may seem obvious, every group is different. So, the way every group develops is going to be different, (Cissna, 1984). Not every group is going to go through all the stages of development, and they might experience them to different degrees. Different groups might not experience them in the same order, and it is possible for different stages to be revisited. Nothing has been determined about what it would mean if a group doesn’t experience certain stages or if they experience them multiple times. This makes the stages of development seem less concrete and more fluid, making it much harder to measure them. While it is difficult to research and measure group stages development, more research needs to be done in this field.

References:

Brabender, V., & Fallon, A. (2009). Empirical investigations of group development. In V. Brabender & A. Fallon, Group development in practice: Guidance for clinicians and researchers on stages and dynamics of change (pp. 63--‐96). doi:10.1037/11858--‐004

Cissna, K. N. (1984). Phases in group development: The negative evidence. Small Group Behavior, 15(1), 3-32. Retrieved from http://sgr.sagepub.com/content/15/1/3.full.pdf

Pazos, P., Micari, M., & Light, G. (2010). Developing an instrument to characterise peer-led groups in collaborative learning environments: assessing problem-solving approach and group interaction.Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education,35(2), 191-208. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3566e02c-3b4a-4180-83d8-82674cabc505@sessionmgr115&vid=11&hid=124

Wheelan, S. A. (2005). An initial exploration of the internal dynamics of leadership teams. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research,55(3), 179-188. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3566e02c-3b4a-4180-83d8-82674cabc505@sessionmgr115&vid=17&hid=124