ABSTRACT
We turn now to the final piece in the jigsaw of Bion’s ideas on groups—although as the best-known of his contributions to group theory it is often the first or only piece many people pick up. He noticed that three “patterns of behaviour” (1961, p. 175) kept appearing in group interactions: dependency, fight–flight, and pairing. He also realised that these forms of interaction can indicate a shared group mentality rather than an individual one as, for example, when a group comes to think in a dependent way and to behave accordingly. Consequently, by giving attention to the manifest behaviours within a group, we can gain an insight into the dynamics at play. Focusing on the nature and impact of the interactions can help us to understand what is going on and so provide a basis for helping the group to stay with or return to its purpose.
