Brief Description
The Group Climate Questionnaire is a self-report measure that assesses individual group members’ experiences and perceptions of the therapy group’s environment.
Assessment Administration Type
Adult self-report
Number of questions
12
Age Range for Administration
Adults
Recommended Frequency of Administration
Weekly
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The GCQ consists of three subscales: Engagement, Avoidance, and Conflict. The Engagement subscale describes constructive therapeutic work, including a positive working atmosphere (item 1), cognitive understanding (item 2), group cohesion (item 4), confrontation (item 8), and self-disclosure (item 11). The Avoidance subscale includes how group members might avoid constructive involvement, such as avoiding issues between groups members (item 3), feeling dependent on the group leader (item 5), and engaging in high levels of social monitoring (item 9). The Conflict subscale assesses interpersonal anger (item 6), distancing (item 7), distrust (item 10), and tension (item 12).
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated completion time: 3-5 minutes
There is some evidence to suggest that Engagement is predictive of changes in social anxiety over the course of treatment.
The Group Climate Questionnaire is useful for tracking individual experiences of group therapy over time.
Citation
MacKenzie, K. R., Dies, R. R., Coche, E., Rutan, J. S., & Stone, W. N. (1987). An analysis of AGPA Institute groups. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 37, 55–74.
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
Bonsaksen, T., Lerdal, A., Borge, F.-M., Sexton, H., & Hoffart, A. (2011). Group climate development in cognitive and interpersonal group therapy for social phobia. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 15(1), 32–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020257
Johnson, J.E. (2013). Beware of storming: Research implications for interpreting group climate questionnaire scores over time. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(3), 433-446, DOI: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.3.433
Johnson, J. E., Pulsipher, D., Ferrin, S. L., Burlingame, G. M., Davies, D. R., & Gleave, R. (2006). Measuring group processes: A comparison of the GCQ and CCI. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 10(2), 136.
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