Method
A total of 120 subjects participated in this study. Of these,
33 were students of yoga groups (10 males, 23 females); 45
were participants in a form of group therapy (18 males, 27 females);
and 42 control subjects were students in an introductory psychology
class, participating in neither groups of yoga or therapy (9 males,
33 females). The mean age of participants in the therapy groups
was 38 years; yoga groups, 25 years; and control group, 23 years.
All groups were tested with the Secord-Jourard scale at their first
meeting and again ten weeks later.
Yoga groups used were conducted at Georgia State University,
and at various YMCA's in the city of Atlanta. These groups were
considered beginning groups by the instructors, and participants
were screened on the basis of having had little or no previous ex-
perience in yoga. In addition, these participants were not currently
undergoing therapy. The form of yoga taught consisted mainly of
Hatha yoga. This form stresses the daily practice of postures as a
means of developing concentration skills, increasing voluntary reg-
ulation and consequential expansion of one's self-concept. Interac-
tion was limited, 'consisting for the most part of exchanging in-
formation on correct postures.
The therapy groups were eclectic, but non-body oriented in
their approach: They ranged from a theme-centered group for di-
vorced women to non-thematic, client-centered groups. As with the
yoga groups, therapy groups were offered at Georgia State Univer-
sity and in the city at various community mental health centers. Subjects
were screened on the basis of not having been in extensive
group therapy previous to this group, and were not currently in-
involved in any dance, movement, or yoga class. The therapists all
had doctoral degrees in clinical or counseling psychology and at
least one year of post-graduate experience leading groups.
The control group was composed of students in an introductory
psychology class offered at Georgia State University. Again, only
subjects who were in neither therapy nor involved in any dance,
movement, or yoga class were eligible.
Results
The analysis of variance (see Table 1, page 81) showed that
group type significantly influenced participants’ degree of self-ca-
thexis in a positive direction (p. <.026). No significant effect was
initially found on the body-cathexis scale (p. <.129). Sex differ-
ences and sex group interaction were also found to lack significance
(p.<.99). Examining group means before treatment (in Table 2,
page 82) indicates the groups were not significantly different from
one another on the body-cathexis scale (p.< 12), but were different
on the self-cathexis scale (p.<.01). This latter difference was due
to the higher starting self-cathexis rating of the control groups, and
not due to differences between the therapy and yoga groups. Table
2 also indicates that while all three groups had higher posttest than
pretest scores on each scale, the predicted trend of mean differences
was clearly shown. Differences between means were greatest on
the body-cathexis scale for yoga group's, and lowest on both scales
for the control groups. In view of these observed comparisons, a
priori Orthogonal contrasts (one-way analysis of variance) were
performed on the data, comparing each experimental group to the
control group (see Table 3, page 83). From this analysis, it ap-
peared that both therapy and yoga groups, when contrasted to the
control group significantly accounted for positive change in self-ca-
thexis (p.<.01, p.<.03, respectively). On the body-cathexis scale,
yoga groups increase significantly in a positive direction when com-
pared to control groups. Therapy groups, however, did not show
significant positive increase in body cathexis (p.<.39) as compared
to control groups. Table 3 also shows that yoga and therapy groups
did not differ significantly from each other on either scale after
treatment.
Discussion
The results of this study showed that in comparison to control
groups, body and self-cathexis improved for yoga group subjects,
whereas only self-cathexis improved for therapy subjects. This sug-
gests that yoga may be an effective therapeutic technique in pro-
ducing self and body concept changes, even though its main cura-
tive elements are different from those of therapy groups, The find-
ings also suggest that therapy groups which emphasize interac-
tions among members, but do not utilize action methods or body
techniques, may change self-aspects in a positive way, but not body
aspects.
From the data, it is apparent that therapy groups had the lowest
self and body-cathexis ratings in the beginning and end of this
study. Yoga groups had the next highest ratings, and control groups
had the highest beginning and end test ratings. Further analysis
revealed therapy and yoga groups were not significantly different
from each other, either before treatment or after treatment. This
finding suggests that yoga groups and therapy groups are composed
of similar populations of people and that yoga may be serving as a
kind of therapy in the minds of those involved. The control group
differed significantly from the yoga and therapy groups in a positive
direction on the pretest self-cathexis ratings, suggesting students
of introductory psychology seem to be composed of those feeling
greater satisfaction towards their body and self. This data seems
to lend tangential support to findings by Jasker and Reeds (1963)
that the Secord-Jourard Body-Cathexis and Self-Cathexis scale
differentiates among neurotics and normals, with normals indica-
ting greater body and self-satisfactions.
The initial analysis Of variance, which revealed no significant
sex or group by sex interaction effect (p.<.99) may have been ac-
counted for by the large discrepancy between the numbers of men
and women in this study (37 males, 83 females). Further investi-
gation of this research study could be improved by having equal
numbers of men and women in each group.
Conclusion
In summary, participants of both yoga and non-body oriented
therapy groups significantly increased positive feelings towards
themselves, whereas only members of yoga groups significantly
increased in their positive bodily feelings. First, this suggests that
although the practice of yoga does not include the main curative
element of interaction and problem sharing among group mem-
bers, significant therapeutic changes in self and body satisfactions
nonetheless occur. Second, a review of the literature indicates the
importance of recognizing the interrelated relationship between
body concept and self-concept. The results of this study conclude
that in order to produce changes in body concept and self-concept,
group therapy is likely to be optimally effective if methods em-
phasizing Interaction and non verbalization, body work and cogni-
tive, rational approaches are combined. No sex differences were
found in this study, perhaps due to the unequal numbers of men.
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