Components of group cohesion: Intermember attraction, instrumental value, and risk taking

This article explores the nature of cohesion in groups people join in order to affect. personal change. The nature of cohesion is explored by examining three constructs thought to be related to cohesion: (1) attraction to individual members of a group, (2) the instrumental value of the group, and (3) risk-taking behaviors that occur in the group. The multiple correlation of measures of these three constructs and a widely used measure of cohesion in a variety ofgroups is. 751. Possible advantages of conceiving of cohesion in terms of these three constructs is discussed. Cohesion has been defined as &dquo;a group property with individ-ual manifestations of feelings ofbelongingncss or attraction to the group&dquo; (Lieberman et al., 1973: 337). There is consensus among those who have written about personal change groups that group cohesion and group member outcome are positively related (Bednar et ai ~ 1974; Yalom, 1975). Data that have been collected support the idea that high group cohesion is asso-ciated with positive outcomes for group members (Clark and Culbert, 1965; Kapp et al., 1964; Lieberman et al.,1973; Yalom et al., 1967). Despite this consensus that cohesion is an important cura-tive factor in personal change groups, the nature of cohesion has not been considered carefully. This article explores three AUTHORI~; NOTE: Requests for reprints should be sent to Joseph Stokes