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The Functions of Groups: A Psychometric Analysis of the Group Resources Inventory

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: What do groups do for their members? A functional model that assumes groups satisfy a number of basic survival, psychological, informational, interpersonal, and collective needs is offered. The authors examined the comprehensiveness of the model by asking members of various types of naturally occurring groups to describe the benefits they gained through membership. Analysis of those descriptions identified 16 key interpersonal functions of groups (such as social comparison, social exchange, social control, social esteem, social identity, and social learning), and individuals' evaluations of the quality of their group were systematically related to their ratings of the group's functionality. The authors discuss possible applications of these findings for improving groups but have concluded that additional work is needed to determine the applicability of the functions model to psychotherapeutic groups.

Source: The Journal of Psychodrama Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy

DOI: 10.12926/rekn5723

Authors: DONELSON R. FORSYTH, TIMOTHY R. ELLIOTT, JOSEPHINE A. WELSH

Language: English

Topic: Social and Intergroup Psychology

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W153970087

FWCI:

Cites:

Cited by: 3

Related to: 20