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Group Formation: Screening Members

Provide a description of two factors you consider most important when forming a group and explain why. Explain what selection procedures you might use to screen members based on the two factors you described.

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(1) [Provide] a description of two factors you consider most when forming a group and explain why.

(a) Leadership
A group can be characterized as two or more people who interact and share some common attribute or interest. Individuals join groups for several reasons including: (a) the need to belong, (b) to accomplish a specific purpose, and/or (c) to participate in activities (Baron, Bryne, Branscome, 2006). Two important factors to consider when forming a groups is: (a) leadership skills and (b) social support. For example, the leader of a group is confident in his or her knowledge and skills so that he or she is able to help persons in a group bring about a change in their lives. In addition, the group leader demonstrates sound judgment regarding intervention issues such as cultural sensitivity, help group members find meaning in their lives. For instance, based on TIP (Tip series) group therapy, a leader displaying empathy can add affect to provide deeper meanings to a group discussion as "the leader requires [having] a vast amount of specialized knowledge and skills in efforts to assess the group dynamics" (p. 7). Finally, the skill group members may view its leader as knowledgeable in teaching specific skills. For instance, a nurse can teach health maintenance to members recovering from abuse, and a trained facilitator is able to ...

Solution Summary

This solution discusses two factors essential to group formation.