Members’ Goal Orientation and Working Alliance in Group Therapy: A Response Surface Analysis

Martin Kivlighan, Gerta Bardhoshi, Kun Wang, Christopher Anders, Sigal Zilcha-Mano

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Research suggests that a client’s achievement goal orientation and alliance are important for positive treatment outcomes. However, it is currently unknown how a member’s goal orientation and alliance in tandem relate to members’ improvement in group therapy, despite conceptual wisdom regarding the additive effect of a high alliance and a mastery or approach goal orientation. Therefore, this study sought to examine the congruence between members’ goal orientation and the member–group alliance on members’ perceived improvement in group therapy. Data for this study came from 99 clients across 10 interpersonal process groups. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis were used to test the congruent and discrepant effects of members’ goal orientation (i.e., approach-performance, avoidanceperformance, and mastery orientation) and group alliance on their perceived improvement in group therapy. As hypothesized, members who reported congruent high group alliance and high mastery orientation or approach orientation compared to congruent low alliance and low mastery or approach orientation reported high levels of improvement in group therapy. Regarding discrepant effects, discrepant high alliance and low avoidance orientation compared to low alliance and high avoidance was positively related to improvement in group therapy, and discrepant high alliance and low approach orientation compared to low alliance and high approach was positively related to improvement in group therapy. Last, discrepant high alliance and low mastery and low alliance and high mastery were positively related to improvement in group therapy, suggesting a compensatory effect between mastery orientation and alliance on improvement.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)179-189
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Counseling Psychology
Volume71
Issue number3
StatePublished - Apr 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Psychological Association

Keywords

  • alliance
  • goal orientation
  • group therapy
  • improvement
  • response surface analysis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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