Examining within- and between-member cohesion and working alliance effects on group members' motivation: a preliminary actor-partner interdependence study.

OBJECTIVE: Informed by the person-environment fit theory, this preliminary study examined if a fit between a group member's treatment experience and their working therapy context (other group members' aggregated treatment experiences) were related to their level of motivation within a group treatment for healing from internalized weight stigma. METHOD: We examined the relationship between two types of within-member and between-member's group cohesion, working alliance, and motivation. Specifically, we utilized the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to operationalize the impact of actor's within-member cohesion and alliance (personal changes over time) and between-member cohesion and alliance (individual differences) as well as partner's within-member cohesion and alliance (contextual changes over time) and between-member cohesion and alliance (contextual differences) on group members' motivation. This study utilized self-report data from 26 group members who participated in three online weight stigma psychotherapy groups. RESULTS: For cohesion, results suggested that the relationship between partner within-member cohesion and motivation was larger for members who reported low cohesion across all the sessions compared to the other members of their group. Additionally, an individual group member who perceived a group session more cohesive than they did on average, reported increased motivation in that session, and this relationship was stronger for members who on average perceived their group less cohesive than other group members. Lastly, session-level alliance was more strongly associated with an individual member's motivation in that session when the other group members reported lower group alliance on average. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the significance of member-group fit in group therapy and the reciprocal impact of individual members and the group on each other's therapy outcomes.

Group cohesion and alliance predict cognitive-behavioral group treatment outcomes for youth with anxiety disorders.

Knowledge about how to enhance group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) outcomes is needed. In a randomized controlled effectiveness trial, we examined group cohesion (the bond between group members) and the alliance (the client-clinician bond) as predictors of GCBT outcomes. The sample was 88 youth (M age 11.7 years, SD = 2.1; 54.5% girls; 90.7% White) with anxiety disorders. Observers rated group cohesion and alliance in 32 sessions from 16 groups. We examined early group cohesion and alliance (r = .50, p < .001) and group cohesion and alliance change from early to late in treatment in relation to outcomes using generalized estimation equations accounting for nesting within groups (ICCs .31 to .55). The outcomes were diagnostic recovery, clinical severity, and parent- and youth-reported anxiety symptoms, each at post-treatment, 12-months, and 4-years follow-up. There were more significant associations with 4-years follow-up than earlier outcomes. Clinical severity and parent-reported anxiety symptoms were more frequently predicted than diagnostic recovery. Clinician- and parent-reported outcomes were far more frequently significantly predicted by cohesion and alliance than youth-rated outcomes. We conclude that group cohesion and alliance are related but distinct variables, both associated with some GCBT outcomes for as long as 4 years after treatment.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Chinese coach leadership and athlete satisfaction and cohesion.

Introduction: This meta-analysis investigates the relationship between coach leadership behaviors and athlete satisfaction and group cohesion within the realm of Chinese sports. The study also explores player sex and player classification as potential moderating variables. The primary focus is on evaluating the impact of coaching behaviors, as measured by the Leadership Scale for Sports, on athlete satisfaction and group cohesion. Methods: Standard literature searches from China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang academic databases produced 26 studies encompassing a total of 319 effect sizes and a participant pool of 7,121 athletes across various sports. Results: Using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) to examine relevant data, results reveal a moderate and positive association between coach leadership and athlete satisfaction (ES = 0.412). Specifically, training and instruction (ES = 0.531), positive feedback (ES = 0.526), social support, and democratic decision-making exhibit positive effects, while autocratic behavior demonstrates a marginal positive effect. Similarly, a moderate positive relationship is identified between coach leadership and overall group cohesion (ES = 0.275), with training and instruction (ES = 0.396), social support (ES = 0.356), positive feedback, and democratic behavior positively influencing cohesion. Conversely, autocratic behavior has a small negative impact on cohesion. Furthermore, female athletes (ES = 0.603) and professional players (ES = 0.544) display stronger positive associations between coach leadership and satisfaction. Conclusion: These findings highlight the significance of diverse coaching behaviors aligned with player characteristics for fostering positive athlete satisfaction and group cohesion within the Chinese sports context, offering valuable guidance to Chinese coaches aiming to enhance their coaching strategies.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Co-Facilitator (AICF) for Detecting and Monitoring Group Cohesion Outcomes in Web-Based Cancer Support Groups: Single-Arm Trial Study.

BACKGROUND: Commonly offered as supportive care, therapist-led online support groups (OSGs) are a cost-effective way to provide support to individuals affected by cancer. One important indicator of a successful OSG session is group cohesion; however, monitoring group cohesion can be challenging due to the lack of nonverbal cues and in-person interactions in text-based OSGs. The Artificial Intelligence-based Co-Facilitator (AICF) was designed to contextually identify therapeutic outcomes from conversations and produce real-time analytics. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a method to train and evaluate AICF's capacity to monitor group cohesion. METHODS: AICF used a text classification approach to extract the mentions of group cohesion within conversations. A sample of data was annotated by human scorers, which was used as the training data to build the classification model. The annotations were further supported by finding contextually similar group cohesion expressions using word embedding models as well. AICF performance was also compared against the natural language processing software Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC). RESULTS: AICF was trained on 80,000 messages obtained from Cancer Chat Canada. We tested AICF on 34,048 messages. Human experts scored 6797 (20%) of the messages to evaluate the ability of AICF to classify group cohesion. Results showed that machine learning algorithms combined with human input could detect group cohesion, a clinically meaningful indicator of effective OSGs. After retraining with human input, AICF reached an F1-score of 0.82. AICF performed slightly better at identifying group cohesion compared to LIWC. CONCLUSIONS: AICF has the potential to assist therapists by detecting discord in the group amenable to real-time intervention. Overall, AICF presents a unique opportunity to strengthen patient-centered care in web-based settings by attending to individual needs. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/21453.

Calling to the collective: contact calling rates within groups of disc-winged bats do not vary by kinship or association.

Many group-living animals coordinate social behaviours using contact calls, which can be produced for all group members or targeted at specific individuals. In the disc-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor, group members use 'inquiry' and 'response' calls to coordinate daily movements into new roosts (furled leaves). Rates of both calls show consistent among-individual variation, but causes of within-individual variation remain unknown. Here, we tested whether disc-winged bats produce more contact calls towards group members with higher kinship or association. In 446 experimental trials, we recorded 139 random within-group pairs of one flying bat (producing inquiry calls for roost searching) and one roosting bat (producing response calls for roost advertising). Using generalized linear mixed-effect models (GLMM), we assessed how response and inquiry calling rates varied by sender, receiver, genetic kinship and co-roosting association rate. Calling rates varied consistently across senders but not by receiver. Response calling was influenced by inquiry calling rates, but neither calling rate was higher when the interacting pair had higher kinship or association. Rather than dyadic calling rates indicating within-group relationships, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that bats produce contact calls to maintain contact with any or all individuals within a group while collectively searching for a new roost site. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.

The relative contribution of acoustic signals versus movement cues in group coordination and collective decision-making.

To benefit from group living, individuals need to maintain cohesion and coordinate their activities. Effective communication thus becomes critical, facilitating rapid coordination of behaviours and reducing consensus costs when group members have differing needs and information. In many bird and mammal species, collective decisions rely on acoustic signals in some contexts but on movement cues in others. Yet, to date, there is no clear conceptual framework that predicts when decisions should evolve to be based on acoustic signals versus movement cues. Here, we first review how acoustic signals and movement cues are used for coordinating activities. We then outline how information masking, discrimination ability (Weber's Law) and encoding limitations, as well as trade-offs between these, can identify which types of collective behaviours likely rely on acoustic signals or movement cues. Specifically, our framework proposes that behaviours involving the timing of events or expression of specific actions should rely more on acoustic signals, whereas decisions involving complex choices with multiple options (e.g. direction and destination) should generally use movement cues because sounds are more vulnerable to information masking and Weber's Law effects. We then discuss potential future avenues of enquiry, including multimodal communication and collective decision-making by mixed-species animal groups. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamic'.

Group vocal composition and decision-making during roost finding in Spix's disk-winged bats.

Theoretical work suggests that having many informed individuals within social groups can promote efficient resource location. However, it may also give rise to group fragmentation if members fail to reach consensus on their direction of movement. In this study, we investigate whether the number of informed individuals, exemplified by bats emitting calls from different roosts, influences group cohesion in Spix's disk-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor). Additionally, we explore the role of signal reliability, quantified through signalling rates, in group consensus on where to roost. These bats use contact calls to announce the location of a roost site and recruit conspecifics. The groups they form exhibit high levels of cohesion and consist of both vocal and non-vocal bats, with vocal behaviour being consistent over time. Our findings revealed that an increase in the number of roosts broadcasting calls is strongly associated with the likelihood of groups fragmenting among multiple roosts. Additionally, we found that a majority of group members enter the roost with higher calling rates. This phenomenon can mitigate the risk of group fragmentation, as bats emitting more calls may contribute to greater group consensus on roosting locations, thereby reducing the likelihood of individuals separating and enhancing overall group cohesion. Our results highlight the potential costs of having too many information producers for group coordination, despite their established role in finding critical resources. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.

Group Cohesion and Necessary Adaptations in Online Hearing Voices Peer Support Groups: Qualitative Study With Group Facilitators.

BACKGROUND: Face-to-face hearing voices peer support groups (HVGs), a survivor-led initiative that enables individuals who hear voices to engage with the support of peers, have a long-standing history in community settings. HVGs are premised on the notion that forming authentic, mutual relationships enables the exploration of one's voice hearing experiences and, in turn, reduces subjective distress. As such, group cohesion is assumed to be a central mechanism of change in HVGs. The rise of digital mental health support, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in many HVGs adapting to online delivery. However, to date no studies have examined the implementation of these online groups and the adaptations necessary to foster cohesion. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the experience of group cohesion among HVG facilitators in online groups compared with face-to-face groups. Specifically, we examined the ways in which the medium through which groups run (online or face-to-face) impacts group cohesion and how facilitators adapted HVGs to foster group cohesion online. METHODS: Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 facilitators with varied experience of facilitating online and face-to-face HVGs. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The findings are organized into 3 themes and associated subthemes: nonverbal challenges to cohesion (lack of differentiation, transitional space, inability to see the whole picture, and expressions of empathy); discursive challenges to cohesion (topic-based conversation and depth of disclosure); and necessary adaptations for online groups (fostering shared experience and using the unique context to demonstrate investment in others). Despite challenges in both the setting and content of online groups, facilitators felt that group cohesion was still possible to achieve online but that it had to be facilitated intentionally. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to specifically investigate group cohesion in online HVGs. Participants noted numerous challenges to group cohesion when adapting groups to run online, including the unnaturally linear narrative flow of dialogue in online settings; lack of transitional spaces, and associated small talk before and after the session; ease of disengagement online; inhibited sharing; and absence of shared physical presence online. Although these challenges were significant, facilitators nevertheless emphasized that the benefits provided by the accessibility of online groups outweighed these challenges. Necessary adaptations for cultivating group cohesion online are outlined and include capitalizing on moments of humor and spontaneity, using group activities, encouraging information sharing between participants using the chat and screen-sharing features, and using objects from participants' environments to gain deeper insight into their subjective worlds.

Effects of Square Stepping Exercise on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults: A center-based hybrid trial.

BACKGROUND: The Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) is an exercise training program that integrates physical exercise and cognitive elements and can be conducted in a group setting. The potential of SSE in delaying cognitive decline in older adults is promising. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made it more difficult for older adults worldwide to exercise together in person. To address this issue, this study conducted a wholistic evaluation of the effects of a center-based hybrid SSE trial on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults. METHODS: A total of 93 older adults (19 men, 74 women) participated in the study. Fifty-eight participants (9 men, 49 women) completed center-based hybrid SSE sessions over 12 weeks under coronavirus pandemic circumstances, whereas other 35 participants in the control group maintained their current level of daily activities. Cognitive functions focused on executive functions assessed by the Stroop Color-Word Test (inhibition) and the Trail Marking Test (TMT) (set-shifting). Psychological and group functioning were assessed by the Subjective Vitality Scale and the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire. Physical function was evaluated by measuring gait speeds. A repeated ANOVA was conducted on the measured variables separately for the intervention and control groups to focus on the change of participant's performance over data collection points. RESULTS: Outcomes of the Stroop Color-Word Test and the TMT revealed that the hybrid SSE was highly effective in improving executive function. Stroop performance (correct trials) was significantly improved in the incongruent condition, as well as both TMT-A and -B over the intervention period in the intervention group. The hybrid SSE was also beneficial to improve physical (gait speed at usual pace and at the maximum pace) as well as psychological functioning (subjective vitality). Furthermore, SSE participants reported increased engagement with the SSE task, social communication, and increased bonding and closeness with their group members through the hybrid SSE. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, hybrid SSE was found to be effective in enhancing cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults. The findings of this study are crucial to provide older adults with a safer and efficient option to exercise.

Analyzing the impact of team-building interventions on team cohesion in sports teams: a meta-analysis study.

Introduction: Participation in team sports requires collaboration among multiple individuals over an extended period. Success in the game relies on more than just individual excellence; it necessitates effective teamwork. Team-building interventions have been shown to enhance team functioning, particularly in fostering cohesion among sports teams. This study aims to identify crucial factors in team-building interventions that contribute to improved team cohesion in sports teams. Methods: A comprehensive meta-analysis of 15 articles was conducted to identify the crucial factors in team-building interventions that contribute to improved team cohesion in sports teams. The analysis focused on the age of participants, level of performance, and duration of interventions. Results: The results of the analysis revealed that the positive impact of team-building was found to be most pronounced when the participants were between 15 and 20 years old, performed at collegiate teams, and engaged in interventions lasting more than 2 weeks. Among the four types of cohesion in sports teams, individual attraction to the group task (ATG-T) emerged as the aspect most influenced by team-building interventions. Discussion: These findings provide valuable insights into the factors influencing the success of team-building interventions in enhancing team cohesion within sports teams.

The relationships among working alliance, group cohesion and homework engagement in group cognitive behaviour therapy for social anxiety disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have investigated the role of generic relational factors, such as group cohesion and working alliance, in group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder (SAD). The aim of this study was to examine the temporal associations among working alliance, group cohesion, and an index of a CBT-specific factor, homework engagement, as correlates of fear of negative evaluation and symptoms of social anxiety in group CBT for SAD. METHOD: There were 105 participants with a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder who were randomly assigned to 12 sessions of group imagery-enhanced or standard CBT. Participants completed measures at various time points during the 12-session interventions, and the relationship among variables was examined through random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. RESULTS: Group cohesion was significantly associated with social anxiety symptoms at the end of treatment, however there was no significant relationship with working alliance. Greater homework engagement predicted lower social interaction anxiety, but only during mid-treatment. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of supporting group cohesion and maximising homework engagement during core components of social anxiety treatment such as behavioural experiments.

Predictors of homework engagement in group CBT for social anxiety: client beliefs about homework, its consequences, group cohesion, and working alliance.

OBJECTIVE: Group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder (SAD) is effective, but little data exist on generic relational components of the therapeutic process, such as group cohesion and therapy alliance, and central CBT-specific components such as homework engagement, beliefs, and perceived consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between homework, group cohesion, and working alliance during group CBT for social anxiety disorder. METHOD: Participants (N = 105) with SAD engaged in 12 sessions of group CBT. Measures of homework, working alliance, and group cohesion were completed at multiple points throughout treatment. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to evaluate the prospective relationships between measures. RESULTS: Prospective relationships between the homework outcomes did not vary throughout the treatment period, with the only significant relationships seen between the random intercepts ("trait" levels). Homework beliefs were a significant negative predictor of future group cohesion, but only in mid- to late-treatment. Homework consequences and working alliance were significantly and positively predictive of each other throughout therapy. CONCLUSION: Early homework engagement is associated with higher engagement throughout therapy. Working alliance and homework engagement are important to bolster early in group CBT.Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12616000579493..

Relationships among Square Dance, Group Cohesion, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Capital in 2721 Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China.

(1) Background: Aging is a global phenomenon, and China's aging is extensive and rapid and already at the middle to upper level worldwide. Promoting social interaction and increasing positive psychological qualities in individuals are key components in helping people adapt to the physical and mental changes of the aging process. Among them, how middle-aged and older adults improve their physical and mental health through physical activity is of great concern. (2) Methods: This study measured the physical activity of 2721 middle-aged and elderly square dance participants across China, and structural equation modeling was applied to explore the relationship between square dance exercise and group cohesion as well as the role of perceived social support and psychological capital. (3) Results: The results showed that (a) square dance exercise positively predicts group cohesion among middle-aged and older adults. (b) Perceived social support and psychological capital mediate the relationship between square dance exercise and group cohesion, and the mediating role consists of three pathways: perceived social support alone, psychological capital alone, and perceived social support-psychological capital chain mediation. (c) The mediating effect of psychological capital alone is greater than the mediating effect of perceived social support alone and the mediating effect of the perceived social support-psychological capital chain. (4) Conclusions: This study provides support for the theory and practice of square dance exercise and intervention guidance for increasing positive psychological qualities and group dynamic levels in middle-aged and older adults.

Possibilities and Challenges of Delivering Health-Related Small Group Interventions Online: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic required the transition of health-related face-to-face group interventions to an online setting. While it seems that group outcomes can be realized in an online setting, less is known about resulting potential challenges (and advantages) and how these can be overcome. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to explore what challenges and advantages may arise when providing health-related small group interventions in an online setting and how to overcome these challenges. METHODS: Scopus and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature. Effect studies, meta-analyses, literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and research reports relating to synchronous, face-to-face, health-related small group interventions, online group interventions, and video teleconferencing group interventions were identified and screened. Findings relating to potential challenges and corresponding strategies are described. In addition, potential advantages of online group settings were explored. Relevant insights were gathered until saturation of results relating to the research questions was reached. RESULTS: The literature indicated several aspects that require extra attention and preparation in the online group setting. These include the delivery of nonverbal communication and affect regulation, as well as the build-up of group cohesion and therapeutic alliance, which seem more challenging online. Yet there are strategies to overcome these challenges, such as metacommunication, collecting participant feedback, and providing guidance concerning technical accessibility. In addition, the online setting provides opportunities to reinforce group identity, such as by allowing independence and the ability to create homogeneous groups. CONCLUSIONS: While online, health-related small group interventions offer a considerable number of possibilities and benefits compared to face-to-face groups, there are also potential drawbacks to consider, which, if anticipated, can be to a great extent overcome.

Youth are united online to fight against involution: a study of group cohesion on Weibo.

Background: In China, involution, which means pressure to out-compete other group members, has attracted public attention on Weibo. The new online connotation of involution empowered group cohesion among youth. Dissimilar to other crises, this crise also closely relates to group cohesion concept. However, few previous group cohesion-related studies focus on this critical concept. This study explains why and how youth created group cohesion online when facing involution. First, by examining the relationship between involution and group cohesion. Second, by examining whether youth are united in the online discussion of involution by investigating the generational gap. Following this, this study analyzes the different opinions to identify why this group cohesion occurs, how youth think about involution, and why they regard "older adults" as others. Lastly, this study analyzes how youth use hashtags to attract more youth to voice their opinions, consequently leading to greater group cohesion. Methods: By combining frontier computational methods with causation and axial coding, this study proposes a new way to in-depth analyze group cohesion on social media. Results: The results indicate that involution triggers poor online group cohesion, and online involution-related hot issues trigger identity-based group cohesion. Additionally, youth are significantly more negative than older adults, and their expressions are full of identity-based construction. By stressing the social roots and blaming the "other" (older adult group), youth united together online. These findings indicated that a generation gap does indeed exist and that youth unite on social media by posting related hashtags via "revealing social identity" and "positioning and becoming" strategies. Conclusion: The findings stress that involution is related to poor group cohesion and that social media offers a new way to face the involution crisis. Youth will use hashtags to unite and blame imagined enemies, such as older adults and the upper class. These findings might assist in understanding interventions that lead to more group cohesion.

Tuning in to real-time social interactions in macaques.

Movement synchronization between individuals has been implicated in reinforcing their cohesion. How might such interindividual motor entrainment be controlled by the social brain? The answer remains elusive owing largely to the lack of suitable animal models in which direct neural recordings are available. Here, we show that macaque monkeys exhibit social motor entrainment without human prompting. We found that repetitive arm movements for horizontal bar sliding were phase coherent between two monkeys. The nature of motor entrainment was specific to animal pairs, consistent across days, dependent on visual inputs, and affected by social hierarchy. Notably, the entrainment was diminished when paired with prerecorded movies of a monkey making the same movements or bar motion alone. These findings demonstrate that motor entrainment is facilitated by real-time social exchanges, providing a behavioral platform to study the neural basis of potentially evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that support group cohesion.

Effects of external cues and group mate body size on the collective behavior of shoaling crucian carp.

Chemical alarm cues (CACs) play a key role in the predatorprey relationship in fish. Chemical cues in the aquatic environment have an impact on the individual and group behavior of fish, and differences in these behavioral responses might be related to the body size of group members. Here, we used juvenile crucian carp (Carassius carassius) as an animal model to examine the effects of different cues and group mate body sizes on the individual and group behavior of shoaling fish. Three group mate body size (small, large, and mixed size) and three pheromone (rearing tank water, food, and CACs) treatments were combined in our study, with each treatment having 16 groups of five fish. We found that the individual swimming speed of the mixed group increased after injecting rearing water and food cues in the tank. After injecting CACs, the individual swimming speed of both the small and mixed groups increased, while that of the large group did not change. After the injection of CACs, the group speed of the small group was higher than that of the large and mixed groups. After the food cues were added to the tank, the synchronization of speed of the small group was higher than that of the mixed and large groups. Both the interindividual distance and nearest-neighbor distance of the mixed group remained unchanged after injecting CACs. Our study indicated that the impact of external cues on the individual and collective behavior of fish is related to the difference in body size of group mates.

An intervention program based on team building during tactical training tasks to improve team functioning.

The study aimed to analyze the effects of an intervention program based on team building developed in technical-tactical training tasks in football. Specifically, it examined the benefits of the intervention in variables related to the conceptual model of team building: role clarity, team identification, intra-team communication, cohesion, intra-group conflict, commitment to the team, inside sacrifice, transactive memory systems, collective efficacy, and perceived performance. The participants were 51 young elite footballers divided into an experimental group (n = 27) and a control group (n = 24). The methodological design was quasi-experimental with a duration of 8 weeks. The data were collected three times: pretest, posttest, and follow-up. The results showed differences favoring the experimental group compared to the control group after the implementation of the intervention program in the following variables: team identification (p < 0.001), role clarity (p < 0.001), intra-team communication (p < 0.001; except distinctiveness), group cohesion (p < 0.05), social conflict (p = 0.001), commitment to the team (p < 0.001), inside sacrifice (p < 0.001), transactive memory systems (p < 0.01; except coordination), collective efficacy (p = 0.02) and team performance (p = 0.001). Consequently, the application of team-building strategies incorporated into specific technical-tactical training tasks in football seems to improve group dynamics in sports teams.

In no uncertain terms: Group cohesion did not affect exploration and group decision making under low uncertainty.

Group decision making under uncertainty often requires groups to balance exploration of their environment with exploitation of the seemingly best option. In order to succeed at this collective induction, groups need to merge the knowledge of all group members and combine goal-oriented and social motivations (i.e., group cohesion). This paper presents three studies that investigate whether more cohesive groups perform worse at collective induction tasks as they spend less time exploring possible options. Study 1 simulates group decision making with the ε-greedy algorithm in order to identify suitable manipulations of group cohesion and investigate how differing exploration lengths can affect outcomes of group decisions. Study 2 (N = 108, 18 groups á 6 participants) used an experimental manipulation of group cohesion in a simple card choice task to investigate how group cohesion might affect group decision making when only limited social information is available. Study 3 (N = 96, 16 groups á 6 participants) experimentally manipulated group cohesion and used the HoneyComb paradigm, a movement-based group experiment platform, to investigate which group processes would emerge during decision making and how these processes would affect the relationships between group cohesion, exploration length, and group decision making. Study 1 found that multiplicative cohesion rewards have detrimental effects on group decision making, while additive group rewards could ameliorate negative effects of the cohesion reward, especially when reported separately from task rewards. Additionally, exploration length was found to profoundly affect decision quality. Studies 2 and 3 showed that groups could identify the best reward option successfully, regardless of group cohesion manipulation. This effect is interpreted as a ceiling effect as the decision task was likely too easy to solve. Study 3 identified that spatial group cohesion on the playing field correlated with self-reported entitativity and leader-/followership emerged spontaneously in most groups and correlated with self-reported perceptions of leader-/followership in the game. We discuss advantages of simulation studies, possible adaptations to the ε-greedy algorithm, and methodological aspects of measuring behavioral group cohesion and leadership to inform empirical studies investigating group decision making under uncertainty.

The Therapy Process Observational Coding System: Group cohesion scale in youth anxiety treatment: Psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: There are no well-established measures of group cohesion, defined as the collaborative bond between group members, in group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) with youth. We therefore examined the Therapy Process Observational Coding System for Child Psychotherapy-Group Cohesion Scale (TPOCS-GC), which has previously only been used with adult samples, in a youth sample. METHODS: Observers coded 32 sessions from 16 groups with 83 youth aged 8 to 15 years (90.7% European White). Youth had anxiety disorders and received manualized GCBT in community clinics. We examined psychometric properties of the TPOCS-GC and its' construct validity in terms of relations with pretreatment variables, alliance and fidelity during treatment, and post-treatment variables. Group cohesion was measured twice during treatment (early and late). RESULTS: The TPOCS-GC was internally consistent (α = 0.72) and was reliably coded (M ICC = 0.61). Higher clinical severity at pretreatment predicted lower early group cohesion. Higher youth age, higher clinical severity at pretreatment, and higher youth-rated early alliance predicted lower late group cohesion. Higher therapist-rated early alliance predicted higher early group cohesion. Higher therapist-rated late alliance predicted higher late group cohesion. Higher late group cohesion predicted lower clinical severity and higher client treatment satisfaction at post-treatment. Early group cohesion did not predict any post-treatment variables. CONCLUSIONS: A four-item version of the TPOCS-GC can be reliably used in youth GCBT. The TPOCS-GC is distinct from, but associated with, multiple clinical variables.