This naturalistic case study investigates the problem posing patterns that emerge as four small groups of 12 year old students in Western Canada work collectively on a structured mathematics task. A method of data analysis is introduced that blurs the data to create transcript "tapestries" providing visual evidence of collective patterns…

To penetrate the growing complexity of theoretical perspectives and research methodologies surrounding organizational behavior, this paper introduces the ABC Matrix. This conceptual framework clarifies complex, repetitive organizational behavior by grouping behaviors (avoidance, buffering, and confronting) into readily understood categories.…

Frustration has been primarily investigated in relation to aggressive behaviors, but may elicit other behaviors depending on the responses available to the individual. To test the effects of task frustration and task success on subsequent group behavior, college women (N=80) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: task success, task…

Designed to clarify the roles played by prizes as evaluative mechanisms in journalism, a study examined journalists' attitudes toward both internal (professional) and external (nonprofessional) reward systems and then examined the ability of both individual-level and organizational-level variables to predict these attitudes and prize-seeking…

Designed to investigate intra-audience effects in a field setting, this study tested three hypotheses: (1) subjects who are exposed to favorable audience responses by confederates will display more favorable assessments than subjects who are exposed to less favorable responses; (2) subjects who are exposed to favorable audience responses will…

"Chaos" theory is a revolutionary new paradigm developed by scientists to study the behavior of natural systems. "Chaos" refers to the tendency of dynamic non-linear systems toward irregular, sometimes unpredictable, yet deterministic behavior. Major tenets of the theory are presented. The precedent for use of models developed…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of group size on toddlers' peer interactions and social interactions with mothers. In particular, the study sought to answer the following questions: (1) When both mothers and peers are available to the child, with whom does he/she prefer to play? and (2) Are there differences in the types of…

This essay explores the group dynamics relating to the events surrounding the Watergate coverup and attempts to identify the factors that predispose of the parties involved to make inappropriate, foolish, and ineffective choices concerning a criminal case in which none of them initially was culpable. The initial Watergate breakin is briefly…

An Attitude Toward Blindness Questionnaire (ATBQ) was developed to assess individual progress through a Veterans Administration blind rehabilitation program. The instrument is also meant to measure attitudes toward blindness for blind persons, rehabilitation workers, and a "naive" group without contact with the blind. A method of…

The major purpose of this study was to define the particular ways children's informal interactions in groups are important in their negotiations of playground games within school settings. Data, gathered over a 3-month period on the playgrounds of three elementary schools, consisted of 23 audiotaped records of children's spontaneously organized…

To assess whether communication behaviors differ between high and low consensus groups, a study considered the comparative interaction of the first meetings of high and low consensus groups, the first and final meetings of high consensus groups, and the first and final meetings of low consensus groups. Subjects, 84 students in a small group…

Descriptive data were collected over a two-month period on two middle elementary classrooms to which student teachers had been assigned. From this data typical patterns of teaching/learning behavior were identified for each classroom. The student teachers were then interchanged, and the data collection continued for another two months. Comparison…

The black community is considered as an economy where the consumption and investment behavior of black families have no significant impact on the growth rate of family income. This is seen to be a problem. The thrust of the argument that follows is that in the absence of a closer relationship between aggregate black family consumption spending,…

Because the practice of humane and ethical behavior among faculty is crucial for a healthy and harmonious environment in a school, this research studied the conceptions of such behavior among a group of teachers through examination of personal narratives. The study identified situations and experiences where humane ethical behavior occurred…

While health services personnel in the United States receive the best technical training available, they are rarely exposed to a holistic health science curriculum which would enable them to develop the interpersonal competence needed in the delivery of health services. Indeed, the primary task of health services personnel is teaching patients to…