Some Effects of Trainers on their T Groups

Relationships among certain dimensions of T-Group trainer behavior, members' reactions to the trainer, group climate, and participant learning were investigated through questionnaires administered to 118 participants and 20 trainers in a human relations laboratory held at Bethel, Maine, in the summer of 1966. As expected, trainer empathy and security were related to liking for the trainer and perceived member learning. Trainer affection was related to participants' liking for the trainer, but not to learning measures. Trainer tendencies to reward and punish were related to discomfort and tension, but not to learning. Unexpectedly, trainer openness showed little relationship to participant learning.