Listening and being heard during group psychotherapy: A response surface analysis of (in)congruence in communication on cohesion and interest in continued group services after the initial session.

Conversational give-and-take after members engage in self-disclosure during group psychotherapy-a form of mutual influence implicated in group cohesion and continuation of treatment-can be conceptualized dyadically as the degree to which members engage in active, empathic listening and perceive others to do the same (i.e., responsiveness). Examining the effects of group members' perception of balance between their own level of listening and other members' responding (i.e., congruence) as it relates to group process and outcome can provide insights and identify opportunities for intervention from group therapists. The present study utilized polynomial regression and response surface analysis to examine these issues among 117 college students in 26 interpersonal-process groups who, as part of a research study, reported engaging in self-disclosure. Results indicated that congruence between members' use of active listening and perceptions of other members' responsiveness was positively associated with cohesion, but not interest in continuing with group psychotherapy. There was not a main effect of incongruence between listening and responding (i.e., overall disagreement) on either outcome, but there were directional effects. When clients perceived themselves being responded to more than they listened, they rated the group as more cohesive. For interest in continuing with group psychotherapy, a positive trend-level effect for incongruence was found in the opposite direction (p = .053): More active listening in the context of lower responsiveness from other members tended to increase the likelihood of expressing interest. Implications for group process and leadership are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).