A Preference for Activity

Abstract

This preliminary paper reports on an ongoing investigation of the interactive effects of small group structure and level of psychopathology on self and social perceptions. Specifically, psychotic- and borderline-level patients were treated and assessed in two kinds of small therapeutic groups: comparatively unstructured psychotherapy groups and more structured task-focused occupational therapy groups. Based on current psychodynamic formulations of psychopathology, it was hypothesized, first, that the psychotic patients would respond more favorably in the structured occupational therapy groups while the borderline patients would prefer the psychotherapy groups. The data failed to substantiate this interaction, revealing, instead, a preference for the occupational therapy groups by both psychotic- and borderline-level patients. A second hypothesis posited that the psychotic patients, in comparison to the borderline patients, would show less differentiated reactions across the two kinds of groups. Considerable support was garnered for this rediction. Implications ofthe findings for clinical practice and future research are presented. A note offered on the' challenges of integrating conceptualizations from psychoanalytic psychology and theories of occupational therapy.