THE FIRST BOOK ON GROUP-PSYCHOTHERAPY, 1932 - MORENO,JL

Jacob L. Moreno (1889-1974) was a Romanian-born and Vienna-educated ps ychiatrist who was drawn at an early age to the world of philosophy, c reativity, and drama. At the time of Moreno's arrival in the United St ates in 1925, he had already published 14 works in German, among them The Theatre of Spontaneity. The approach delineated in this work was t ransplanted by Moreno to Carnegie Hall in New York City, where he cond ucted public demonstrations of improvised theatrical presentations. Mo reno also undertook the editorship of Impromptu, a drama magazine, and began to study the structure of small groups, quantifying the interpe rsonal forces of attraction and repulsion in an effort to enhance the quality of group life. This sociopsychological system, dubbed sociomet ry, composed the core of Moreno's best-known book, Who Shall Survive? Moreno proceeded next to refine his psychodrama and sociodrama, both d esigned to expose and resolve human conflict. In 1936, Moreno built a psychodrama stage at his Beacon, New York, private sanatorium and trai ning center, after which he launched the journal Sociometry in 1937, t ile publication of which was taken over by the American Sociological A ssociation. The father of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (founded in 1942), Moreno also founded the journal Sor iatry (now the Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Sociom etry) in 1947. Moreno was instrumental in the creation of numerous psy chodrama training centers in other countries and more broadly based in ternational organizations for group therapists. With over 300 publicat ions, Moreno came to be recognized as one of group therapy's pioneers, representing the special theoretical and methodological system know a s psychodrama. Saul Scheidlinger is professor emeritus of psychiatry ( psychology) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York City) and adjunct professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the Cor nell University School of Medicine (White Plains, New York). A former president of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, Scheidlinge r was for 10 years editor of the International Journal of Group Psycho therapy. Among other honors, Scheidlinger has received tile Distinguis hed Group Psychologist Award from American Psychological Association D ivision 49 (Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy) and the Distingu ished Service Award from the Children's Group Therapy Association. Sch eidlinger is author of Psychoanalysis and Group Behavior, Psychoanalyt ic Group Dynamics: Basic Readings, Focus on Group Psychotherapy: Clini cal Essays, and over 100 chapters, articles, and audiovisuals on group treatment and group dynamics.