A DECADE OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK RESEARCH - TRENDS IN METHODOLOGY, THEORY, AND PROGRAM-DEVELOPMENT

This study examines a decade of social work group outcome research. Fi fty-four group research studies were identified in nine key social wor k journals and from Social Work Research and Abstracts. Methodological aspects of the studies were reviewed including theoretical orientatio n, group format, leadership, design, target problem or area, and measu rement. Results of the review indicate that investigations of cognitiv e-behavioral groups dominate the research literature. Although a wide array of larger problems have been studied, children's social skills a nd behavior problems are the most frequently examined Among the marker s of increasing methodological sophistication of the group research li terature were balancing of group leadership across comparison group co nditions and the use of multiple measures for determining outcome. Alt hough experimental studies were the most frequent design used, they we re out numbered by the combination of quasi-experimental group compari sons and nonexperimental designs.