Group dynamics is a process in which social and psychological determinants (causes) interact that can affect the behavior of individuals who make up a given collective. This term Kurt Levin introduced in 1934 in such branches of medicine as psychology and psychotherapy. The purpose and idea of group psychotherapy is not only to establish group interaction, but also in the very dynamics of the development of this group and each of its constituent individuals in the direction of positive development and recovery.
Group dynamics is conventionally divided into three main stages:
1) the stage of compliance;
2) stage of identification;
3) assignment phase.
At the stage of compliance, group members begin to succumb to the influence of each other individually, the entire group and the doctor. It will be more accurate to say that they are starting to shift from the position of unconscious self-defense of their own inner world, defending their attitude to a neurosis or to another psychological problem that led them to this group. However, they still do not accept extraneous influences and opinions, but only begin to remove their protection from external influences and accept the norms and rules of work in the group that were set forth by the doctor. A voluntary, but so far only formal community among group members begins to take shape. But since all people are different, the processes of psychological adaptation for everyone go at different speeds.
At the stage of identification, group dynamics finds its further development in the appearance of readiness among group members not only formally, but with participation and understanding to listen to the opinions of others and discuss with them. At this stage, an informal community is emerging, a feeling of a certain “we” group, despite even certain disagreements and rejection by each other of the group members.
At the stage of appropriation, the process of acceptance by individual participants of those group values that already existed at the previous stages as their own, even the willingness to operate them in their own personal lives on their own behalf, is going on.
The concept of group dynamics includes such useful medical factors as inspiration, solidarity in the team, generalizing oneself with the group, providing information to others, interpersonal learning, multiple transference, developing interpersonal communication skills that mimic the standard of behavior.
Consider some of these, of course, useful factors:
Cohesion. Practice has shown that most of the participants suffer most precisely from the loneliness of the psychological or physical, which, in turn, causes people to sense of uselessness, insecurity, and high anxiety. Group dynamics allows you to eliminate the root cause, namely the feeling of loneliness, because in those groups that have developed successfully, there is affiliation, a feeling of belonging to the community. And as a result, a feeling of security appears, and a sense of anxiety can disappear completely.
Suggestion of hope. It happens that group dynamics unites not only those people who positively influence each other, but also those who influence negatively, reduce self-confidence, and instill skepticism in the soul. Therefore, when selecting groups, the specialist needs to be very careful and take into account the individual preferences of each of the patients.
Generalization. This effect is very close to the effect of cohesion, because when choosing groups, doctors focus on the common problems of the participants in each particular group. When participants see people around them with similar problems, the feeling of loneliness disappears, hope appears, and with them the chance for treatment success increases.