All Absences Are Not the Same: What Happens to the Group Climate When Someone is Absent From Group?

ABSTRACT

Clinical wisdom dictates that group member absences are harmful to the group; however, this has not been empirically examined. How do group member absences affect the group’s climate, and do absences earlier or later in a group’s life differentially impact group climate? The current study examined the relationship between group member absence and the climate perceptions for attending members, during earlier and later sessions in a group’s development. As hypothesized, a significant interaction was found for group climate and time such that absences during early sessions were significantly related to higher levels of engagement and lower levels of avoidance (a more productive group atmosphere), while absences during later sessions were related to lower levels of engagement and higher levels of avoidance. Implications are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jill D. Paquin

Jill D. Paquin is a Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Professor of graduate psychology at Chatham University where she teaches master’s and doctoral-level courses in group psychology and group psychotherapy.

Dennis M. Kivlighan

Dennis M. Kivlighan, Jr., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland.