Deck 16: Dealing With Problem Situations

Question 1

Which of the following questions would NOT help a leader to determine whether a member is a chronic talker?

A) How long has the member been talking?
B) Is the member preventing others from talking?
C) Does the talkative member like being in the group?
D) Are the members comments aligned with the purpose of the group?

Answer 1

C

Question 2

MATCHING: Match the "problem member" descriptions with the most appropriate problem situation.
"Problem Member" descriptions:
A. Chronic talker
B. Distracter
C. Get-the-leader
D. Negative member
E. Rescuing member
F. Resistant member
This member tries to get the group off task by
bringing up irrelevant subjects or asking irrelevant
questions.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

MATCHING: Match the "problem member" descriptions with the most appropriate problem situation.
"Problem Member" descriptions:
A. Chronic talker
B. Distracter
C. Get-the-leader
D. Negative member
E. Rescuing member
F. Resistant member
This member rambles, repeats herself, and tells
long, drawn out stories. Her stories are often
not relevant to others, and her long-windedness
often prevents others from being able to discuss
their concerns.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

MATCHING: Match the "problem member" descriptions with the most appropriate problem situation.
"Problem Member" descriptions:
A. Chronic talker
B. Distracter
C. Get-the-leader
D. Negative member
E. Rescuing member
F. Resistant member
This member says he does not know why he is
in the group or how the group can be helpful.
He sits with his arms crossed and does not
speak unless forced to.

Question 5

A member who constantly complains about the group or disagrees with other members of the group and the leader is described by the authors as having ________energy.

Question 6

When beginning a session, if the leader does not have a good opening, long periods of ____________may occur which can create discomfort for the members.

Question 7

A group member who is either seeking attention or is avoiding looking at herself is thought of as a ___________________.

Question 8

Some members are ___________because they are forced to be in a group.

Question 9

When a leader abruptly cuts off a member, appropriately or inappropriately, fails to return to a member after promising to do so, or is not skilled enough to control the group, she may create a problem situation for herself known as ____________- _____________- ______________.

Question 10

When a member begins crying during the session, the leader SHOULD

A) immediately attend to the member before asking if she wants help.
B) open her up further, even if there are only five minutes left in session.
C) suggest that she leave until she can control her crying and talk about it.
D) attempt to determine whether she is in pain or trying to gain sympathy from others.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT recommended for the leader to do when handling a talkative member?

A) Maintaining eye contact and nodding when the member speaks
B) Addressing the whole group about talkative behavior, in general
C) Seeking other members' feedback about the member's behavior
D) Pairing with the member in dyads to discuss the member's behavior

Question 12

MATCHING: Match the "problem member" descriptions with the most appropriate problem situation.
"Problem Member" descriptions:
A. Chronic talker
B. Distracter
C. Get-the-leader
D. Negative member
E. Rescuing member
F. Resistant member
This member may prevent others from problem
solving by trying to smooth over the negative feelings
that another member is experiencing in an attempt to
soothe the other member.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true about the dynamics of sexual feelings between members in a group?

A) Members may stop sharing in group because of sexual dynamics
B) The leader can control these dynamics during the group's meeting time
C) Members may become jealous, angry, or hurt as another member is sharing
D) Sexual feelings may occur anywhere and at any time during the life of the group

Question 14

It may be a mistake by the leader to immediately try to work with a member who begins to cry before getting a ______________________.

Question 15

A chronic talker who wants to impress the leader and other members and attempts to show others what he knows, may be thought of as ________________.

Question 16

______________________is the attempt of a member to smooth over negative feelings experienced by another member of the group.

Question 17

A member's disruptive behavior exhibited during a session may be indicative of his or her behavior ______________________.

Question 18

MATCHING: Match the "problem member" descriptions with the most appropriate problem situation.
"Problem Member" descriptions:
A. Chronic talker
B. Distracter
C. Get-the-leader
D. Negative member
E. Rescuing member
F. Resistant member
This member attempts to actively sabotage what the
leader says or does in group. She may do this by disagreeing
with the leader, asking the leader unanswerable questions,
or sub-grouping with other members to undermine the impression
of the leader's competence.

Question 19

The first thing a leader should do when she realizes that a member is out to "get" her during the session, is

A) shift the focus away from the power struggle between leader and member.
B) put the angry member on the spot about the situation in front of the group.
C) dismiss the member from the session and talk with him privately at another time.
D) allow other members to give the angry member negative feedback about his behavior in group.

Question 20

If the leader's lack of experience or ineffectiveness leads to long periods of silence either because members don't know what is expected or are afraid to talk, the group will likely be __________________.

Question 21

Describe how a leader can appropriately ask a member to leave a group?

Question 22

According to the authors, it is usually good for the leader to let there be silence at the beginning of each session to see what the members might do.

Question 23

Once a group has been underway, it is a mistake for the leader to meet with a member individually outside the group in order to deal with a problem behavior on the member's part.

Question 24

What might a leader do to prevent members from trying to "get" him or her?

Question 25

There are productive and non-productive periods of silence in many groups.

Question 26

A good rule of group leadership is to be tolerant of members' differences and intervene only when a member's negative or prejudicial comments may be harmful to another in the group.

Question 27

Because it is important for a group leader to be ethical, she should never cut off moralizing statements from members directed at other members.

Question 28

Which of the following is a MISTAKE when dealing with a problem situation in group?

A) Talking to a negative member outside of group
B) Giving a dominating member a helping role in group
C) Allowing the group to sit in silence for 10 minutes as punishment
D) Letting other members do a majority of the helping with a resistant member

Question 29

When a leader senses two members in a group are sexually attracted to one another, she should bring this to the attention of the members and use group pressure to prevent a romantic relationship from being established.

Question 30

When leading a group with two mutually hostile members, the leader should do each of the following EXCEPT

A) get the members to like each other.
B) meet privately with each member to identify issues.
C) focus on how the members came to dislike one another.
D) obtain a commitment from each member to work on the issue in group.

Question 31

When there are mutually hostile members in a group, the leader should let the members take a vote on which should be asked to leave the group.

Question 32

Sometimes when a member plays "get-the-leader", it is because of a mistake that the leader has made in his or her leadership of the group.

Question 33

The authors state that asking a member to leave might be done for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

A) being negative in group.
B) disrupting the work of other members.
C) raising irrelevant issues in group over and over.
D) disagreeing with the leader or members at times.

Question 34

The member who sits in group with her arms crossed and does not contribute unless forced to do so is

A) trying to get the leader
B) resistant
C) a distracter
D) prejudiced

Question 35

A member who says to another "Don't worry, everything will be ok, you just have to make the best of things" is a

A) rescuing member
B) resistant member
C) distracter
D) talkative member

Question 36

There may be occasions when a group member's behavior is so negative or distracting that it suggests he or she is not ready for a group experience.

Question 37

When dealing with negative members, the leader should NOT

A) ask the negative member to sit quietly.
B) avoid eye contact with the negative member.
C) confront the negative member during the group session.
D) talk to the negative member outside of group about his negativity.

Question 38

With resistant members, the leader SHOULD

A) talk to him after the session to try to help him to work through his resistance
B) take as much time as needed to break down the resistance
C) keep the member from sharing any of his opinions in group
D) allow him to discuss irrelevant topics as long as he participates in group

Question 39

Whenever a member cries in a group situation, the leader should encourage all the members to gather around and give that member support.

Question 40

All of the following are true about distracting members EXCEPT?

A) They are attention-seeking
B) They can get the group off task
C) They are always intentionally trying to distract the group
D) They should be talked to about their comments and then ignored

Question 41

What helps the leader to determine whether silence during group is productive or nonproductive?

Question 42

What are the pros and cons of using group time to work on the issues between mutually hostile members?

Question 43

How should a leader deal with a prejudiced, narrow-minded, or insensitive group member?