Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / This research was designed to demonstrate a relationship between specific personality characteristics and involvement in group therapy. Based upon the work of many writers in the field of group dynamics and group psychotherapy, such as Lewin, Alexander, Bach, Slavson, Mann and others, as well as clinical observations, an assumption was made that a psychotherapy group is a situation of mutual dependence. The members of a therapy group, to exist and function as a group, are required to help one another, to give to one another and to take from one another.
On this assumption, the hypothesis was formulated that an individual's involvement in such a group would be significantly related to a complex of personality factors which was termed capacity for mutual dependence.
Capacity for mutual dependence was analyzed into two factors, potential for giving and management of dependency wishes. Potential for giving was defined as ability to empathize with others, capacity for forming relationships with others, capacity to delay gratification of needs and capacity to derive satisfaction from gratifying the needs of others. Persons high in this potential were termed "giving", those low in this potential were termed "nongiving." [TRUNCATED]
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/22343 |
| Date | January 1958 |
| Creators | Ryan, William |
| Publisher | Boston University |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | Based on investigation of the BU Libraries' staff, this work is free of known copyright restrictions. |
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