The opening session of a group presents special problems for the group leader. Focuses on structured activities which can serve to reduce these early negative reactions and promote feelings of security, identity, and belongingness in the group members. (Author)

Presents literature relevant to initial group structure and advances a model of group development based upon personal construct theory. The proposed model illuminates the relationship between initial structure and the psychological processes underlying group development. Research questions are posited to advance empirical tests of the model. (RC)

Describes Cattell's model as inclusive of the work of family therapists of all orientations. The model defines groups as having interrelated aspects, and all variables related to group phenomena as fitting into three panels: population traits, characteristics of internal structure, and syntality traits. Suggests model gives uniformity to field.…

Both social ability and social disability models of delinquent peer relations have been developed to explain the social relations of delinquents. A key difference between these models is the assumption of normal social relations among delinquents in the social ability model, contrasted to the social ineptitude and lack of social skills attributed…