Confidentiality as a group norm and its concomitant effect on self-disclosures by participants in personal growth groups

Confidentiality as a group norm and how it affected self-disclosures in personal growth groups were compared between control and treated groups. The sample consisted of 53 students enrolled in a graduate level group counseling course. The students were randomly assigned to six groups: three control and three experimental groups. Each group had two facilitators. The groups all met in the same place, at the same time and observed the same protocols. The process group model was followed. This study had four hypotheses and three main objectives: first, to determine what effect establishing confidentiality as a norm had on a participant's self-disclosures, second, to determine if the group members believed that the norm of confidentiality would be breached by either the group facilitators or the group members; and, finally, to examine the attitudes and opinions of control and treated group members towards the belief that confidentiality as a group norm would promote more self-disclosures in personal growth groups. The qualitative and quantative data revealed that confidentiality as a norm did not produce significantly greater self-disclosures. Group members generally believed that confidentiality among members would be observed and members had a high belief that their group facilitators would not violate their stated ethical standards. There was no significant difference between control and treated groups in their belief that confidentiality as a norm was important for self-disclosures to occur