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Tools for Assessing & Evaluating Groups

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C H A P T E R 7

Twelfth EditionTheory and Practice

EFFECTIVEGROUPDISCUSSION

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Chapter Content

Internal Assessment External Assessment: The Consultant Functions of a Consultant Ethical Principals for Consultants Planning the Consultation Instruments for Observing & Consulting

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Reasons for Research

To benefit yourself To benefit the group To benefit the discipline

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Ask yourself:

What do I want to measure? What observable evidence does that

quality have? Is there an existing instrument I can

use? How can I make the process easy for

the respondent and for me?

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Internal Assessment

Assess: Yourself Others The group

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Self-Assessment

Personality inventories and rating scales

Examples: Grouphate Preference for procedural order Assertiveness Conflict management style Leadership

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Member & Group Assessment

Participant rating scale Leader rating scale Group ratings

Focus on any element of a group

Post-meeting reaction forms

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External Assessment: The Consultant

Consultants are not group members To become a consultant:

Practice Observation skills

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Functions of a Consultant

Remind group members of communication principles

Teach procedures and techniques

Continued

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Functions of a Consultant

Critique a group’s performance Problem-solving discussion Group process Group product Leadership

Give feedback sensitively

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Ethical Principals for Consultants

1. Do not harm group members

2. Tell the truth

3. Make your criticism constructive

4. Respect the privacy and confidentiality of group members

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Planning the Consultation

Conduct background research Record the group’s discussion Prepare questions to guide observation Focus on aspects of a group

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Instruments for Observing & Consulting

Verbal interaction analysis Content analysis SMYLOG

System for the Multiple Level Observation of Groups

Continued

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Verbal Interaction Analysis

Figure 7.13 Verbal Interaction Diagram

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Verbal Interaction Analysis

Verbal Interaction Worksheet

Brown Jones Lingle Gallo Radeau Marx TotalsBrown

Jones

Lingle

Gallo Radeau

Marx

Group

Totals

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Verbal Interaction Analysis

Figure 7.15 Data Displayed froma Verbal Interaction Diagram

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Content Analysis

Figure 7.16 Content Analysis of Behavioral Functions of Members

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Content Analysis

Figure 7.18 Pie Chart Displaying a Group Member’s Behavioral Functions

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SYMLOG

System for the Multilevel Observation of Groups

Assumes member behavior can be classified on dimensions: Dominant/ submissive Friendly/ unfriendly Task oriented/ emotionally expressive

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SYMLOG

Can be used by observers, or As a rating scale completed by group

members Intended to create “snapshots” of the

group interaction, including cohesiveness

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SYMLOG Diagram

Figure 7.19 SYMLOG Diagram of Noncohesive Group

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SYMLOG Diagram

Figure 7.20 SYMLOG Diagram of a Unified, Productive Group

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Groups and group members benefit from evaluation – self-evaluation and evaluation by knowledgeable outsiders.

These scales are useful in themselves and as examples of how such instruments can be constructed.