Tracking change in group interventions: a further adaptation of the innovative moments coding system for groups

Submitted: June 20, 2022
Accepted: November 17, 2022
Published: December 29, 2022
Abstract Views: 1094
PDF: 283
HTML: 10
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

In group psychotherapy research, there are few reliable measures for tracking members’ change. This study proposes a further adaptation of the Innovative Moment Coding System for Groups (IMCS-G), a reliable method previously developed in one format of group intervention for detecting innovative moments (IMs). IMs are exceptions to the clients’ problematic narratives, organized in different levels of complexity in terms of meaning elaboration (Level 1, 2, and 3). IMCS-G consists of 7 categories (Self-Directed, Other-Directed, Explicit Mirroring, Prompting change, Reinforcing change, Collective, Voice of Group) organized in two macro-categories: Individual (e.g., change was narrated by a single participant) and Group IMs (e.g., change was co-constructed by more than one participant). Two reliable coders applied the IMCS-G to analyse the transcripts of nine sessions of a counselling group addressed to underachieving university students (N=10) and eight sessions of a brief group psychotherapy targeted to substance abusers (N=8). Agreement and reliability for IMCS-G categories and their Levels were calculated. Consistently with previous studies, a strong agreement and reliability for IMCS-G categories and Levels were found in both group interventions. Furthermore, despite some differences in the frequency of IMCS-G categories and Levels, in both interventions, there was a higher frequency of Self-Directed IMs, a lower frequency of the Explicit Mirroring IMs, and a higher frequency of Level 3 Group IMs in comparision with Level 3 Individual IMs. This study confirmed the reliability of IMCS-G in different group interventions, but it also suggested rooms of improvement for some IMCS-G categories.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Allen, J.G., & Fonagy, P. (2006). Handbook of mentalization-based treatment. Chichester, UK: Wiley. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470712986
Angus, L., Lewin, J., Boritz, T., Bryntwick, E., Carpenter, N., Watson-Gaze, J., & Greenberg, L. (2012). Narrative processes coding system: A dialectical constructivist approach to assessing client change processes in emotion-focused therapy of depression. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 15(2), 54-61. Doi:10.4081/ripppo.2012.105 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2012.105
Authors’ citations (2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022a, 2022b).
Badoud, D., Luyten, P., Fonseca-Pedrero, E., Eliez, S., Fonagy, P., & Debbané, M. (2015). The French version of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire: validity data for adolescents and adults and its association with non-suicidal self-injury. PloS one, 10(12):e0145892. 10.1371/journal.pone.0145892 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0145892
Bateman, A. W., & Fonagy, P. (2012). Handbook of mentalizing in mental health practice. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
Batista, J., Silva, J., Magalhães, C., Ferreira, H., Fernández‐Navarro, P., & Gonçalves, M. M. (2020). Studying psychotherapy change in narrative terms: The innovative moments method. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 20(3), 442-448. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12297
Beck, A. T. (Ed.). (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York, NY: Guilford press.
Beck, A. P., & Lewis, C. M. (2000). The process of group psychotherapy: Systems for analyzing change. American Psychological Association. Doi: 10.1037/10378-000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/10378-000
Burlingame, G.M., Fuhriman, A., & Johnson, J. (2004). Process and outcome in group counseling and group psychotherapy. In J.L., DeLucia–Waack, D.A., Gerrity, C.R. Kalodner, & M.T. Riva (Eds.), Handbook of group counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 49–61). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452229683.n4
Burlingame, G., Whitcomb, K., & Woodland, S. (2014). Process and outcome in group psychotherapy. In J.L., DeLucia-Waack, D.A., Gerrity, C.R., Kalodner, M.T., Riva, (Eds.), Handbook of group counseling and psychotherapy (2nd ed., pp. 55-68). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 10(9781544308555), n5.
Dazzi, N., Lingiardi, V., & Colli, A. (2006). La ricerca in psicoterapia. Modelli e strumenti. [Research in psychotherapy. Models and tools.] Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore
Dimaggio, G. (2012). Dialogically oriented therapies and the role of poor metacognition in personality disorders. In H. J. M. Hermans (Ed.) Handbook of dialogical self – theory (pp. 356–373). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Doi:10.1177 / 1354067X13489321 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139030434.025
Fonagy, P., Luyten, P., Moulton-Perkins, A., Lee, Y. W., Warren, F., Howard, S., Ghinai, R., Fearon, P. & Lowyck, B. (2016). Development and validation of a self-report measure of mentalizing: The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire. PLoS One, 11(7). 10.1371/journal.pone.0158678. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158678
Frank, J. D., & Frank, J. B. (1993). Persuasion and healing: A comparative study of psychotherapy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Garcia-Martínez, J., Maestre-Castillo, D., Payán-Bravo, M. A., & Fernández-Navarro, P. (2020). Innovative Moments in Group Therapy: Analyzing voices of group change. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 1-12. Doi: 10.1080/10720537.2020.1717143 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2020.1717143
Gonçalves, M. M., & Angus, L. (2017). Narrative measures in psychotherapy research: Introducing the special section. Psychotherapy Research, 27(3), 251-252. Doi: 10.1080/10503307.2016.1265687 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2016.1265687
Gonçalves, M. M., Batista, J., & Freitas, S. (2017). Narrative and clinical change in cognitive-behavior therapy: A comparison of two recovered cases. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 30(2), 146-164. Doi: 10.1080/10720537.2016.1183537 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2016.1183537
Gonçalves, M. M., & Stiles, W. B. (2011). Introducing the special section on narrative and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Research, 27(3), 1-3. Doi: 10.1080/10503307.2010.534510 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2010.534510
Gonçalves, M. M., Ribeiro, A. P., Mendes, I., Matos, M., & Santos, A. (2011). Tracking novelties in psychotherapy process research: The innovative moments coding system. Psychotherapy Research, 21(5), 497-509. Doi: 10.1080/10503307.2011.560207 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2011.560207
Gullo, S., Coco, G. L., Prestano, C., Giannone, F., & Verso, G. L. (2010). La ricerca in psicoterapia di gruppo: Alcuni risultati e future direzioni di ricerca. [Research in psychotherapy: some results and future research directions.] Research in Psychotherapy. Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 78-96. Doi: 10.4081/ripppo.2010.15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2010.15
Gullo, S., Coppola, E., & Lo Verso, G. (2010). La valutazione delle psicoterapie: un’introduzione. [The evaluation of psychotherapies: an introduction] Gruppi. Doi:10.3280/GRU2010-001002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3280/GRU2010-001002
Hermans, H. J. (2003). The construction and reconstruction of a dialogical self. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 16(2), 89-130. Doi: 10.1080/10720530390117902 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10720530390117902
Hermans, H. J. (Ed.). (2016). Assessing and stimulating a dialogical self in groups, teams, cultures, and organizations. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32482-1
Hermans, H. J., & Dimaggio, G. (2007). Self, identity, and globalization in times of uncertainty: A dialogical analysis. Review of general psychology, 11(1), 31-61. Doi:10.1037/1089-2680.11.1.31 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.11.1.31
Hermans, H. J., & Hermans-Konopka, A. (2010). Dialogical self theory: Positioning and counter-positioning in a globalizing society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511712142
Karterud, S. (2011). Constructing and mentalizing the matrix. Group Analysis, 44(4), 357-373. 10.1177/0533316411417941. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0533316411417941
Karterud, S. (2015a). Mentalization-Based Group Therapy (MBT-G). A theoretical, clinical and research manual. London: Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780198753742.001.0001
Morandotti, N., Brondino, N., Merelli, A., Boldrini, A., De Vidovich, G. Z., Ricciardo, S., Abbiati, V., Ambrosi, P., Caverzasi, E., Fonagy, P. & Luyten, P. (2018). The Italian version of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire: Validity data for adults and its association with severity of borderline personality disorder. PloS one, 13(11). 10.1371/journal.pone.0206433 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206433
Morken, K. T., Binder, P. E., Molde, H., Arefjord, N., and Karterud, S. (2017). Mentalization-based treatment for female patients with comorbid personality disorder and substance use disorder: A pilot study. Scandinavian Psychologist, 4, e16. Doi: 10.15714/scandpsychol.4.e16 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15714/scandpsychol.4.e16
Neri, C. (1995). Gruppi [Groups], Roma: Borla Editions.
Orfanos, S., Burn, E., Priebe, S., & Spector, A. (2020). A systematic review and quality assessment of therapeutic group process questionnaires. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 70(3), 425-454. Doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1755292 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2020.1755292
Sierra Hernandez, C. A., Piper, W. E., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Joyce, A. S., & Weideman, R. (2015). Use of Referential Language in Short-Term Group Psychotherapy for Complicated Grief. Group Dynamics, 20, 1–15. Doi: 10.1037/gdn0000038 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000038
Stiles, W. B. (2002). Assimilation of problematic experiences. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 38(4), 462. Doi: 10.1037/0033-3204.38.4.462 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.38.4.462
Strupp, H. H., & Binder, J. L. (1984). Psychotherapy in a new key: A guide to time-limited dynamic psychotherapy. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Sullivan, H. S. (1953). The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. New York, NY: Norton.
World Medical Association (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. Doi:10.1001/jama.2013.281053 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053

How to Cite

Esposito, G., Cutolo, A. S., Passeggia, R., Formentin, S. ., & Gonçalves, M. M. (2022). Tracking change in group interventions: a further adaptation of the innovative moments coding system for groups. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2022.648

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.