AN EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS MADE OF THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING DESIGN UPON THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY AT STUDENT INFORMAL INTERACTIONS, AND THE NATURE AND CONTENT OF SUCH INTERACTIONS. THREE HIGH SCHOOLS WERE STUDIED, AND QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS WERE USED WITH THE 1631 STUDENTS IN THE TOP TWO GRADES. CONCEPTS WHICH WERE IDENTIFIED…

This paper presents a system designed to measure group role behavior and the direction and degree of subgroup interaction during small group meetings. The system utilizes file classifications of role behavior subdivided into 11 behavior categories. Data are collected in sample observations using live recorders or VTR equipment. Data analysis…

Students in speech classes at Northern Illinois University participated in tests to determine what assumption of roles in discussion groups impairs participation and prohibits consensus. Students were randomly assigned to one of twelve discussion groups of five members each. The topic and materials for discussion were excerpted from the local…

The "diffusion of responsibility" hypothesis as an explanation of helping behavior (or lack of same) is qualified by suggesting that the hypothesis applies only in non-interacting situations. It is hypothesized that interacting groups who are aware of a help-demanding situation actually focus the responsibility and, therefore, take action as a…

A transactional theory which views interpersonal behavior as being communicated simultaneously on 3 channels was tested. Forty dyadic groups were composed which ranged from compatibility to incompatibility through all possible combinations on the 3 channels. The groups tested the hypothesis that there would be a linear relationship between…

Children's (ages 8-12) interactive social responses to computers were examined. Results showed that students had not considered the social implications of using another's data. When infringements of their rights to privacy took place, students demanded penalties. Students showed preference for group problem-solving strategies. (RM)

Discusses what a spontaneously formed group of three children thought and did as they composed a story together. The observations focus on the whole writing process. (HTH)

A symbolic interactionist approach to evaluation views the evaluator as an observer of group behavior in which individual action aligns with collective action. The evaluator attempts to discover what is actually going on in the program being evaluated. Though the interactionist approach frees the program manager from having to articulate goals, it…

This review includes recent research that manipulated features of cooperative learning as well as studies of the relationship between interaction in small groups and outcomes. The analysis examines the kinds of discourse that are productive for different types of learning and moves toward studies of task and interaction. (SLD)

Consensus is important in the making of a policy decision. If a decision is reached without consensus, morale and unit satisfaction may both suffer. With genuine consensus, a unit tends to willingly support and implement the new policy. After analyzing how observed small groups had actually reached consensus, the following ten techniques were…

The Children's Interaction Matrix, Intermediate and Primary Forms, are designed to identify the preferred work and content styles of children in group situations. These factors aid the researcher, teacher, and counselor in understanding the individual's preferred mode of behavior in groups as well as indicating the students' reaction to group…

Using the coorientational framework developed by McLeod and Chaffee, this study tested Bem's theory that an individual performing a behavior (speaker) and an individual observing the behavior (listener) use the same evidence when evaluating the performer's attitudes. Participants included 96 undergraduate students at the University of…

The qualities of small group communication and interaction were tested in this study, which specifically measured group consensus and the quality of group decision making. Fifty groups of five members each were used. One member of each group was trained to exhibit either high or low "orientation," knowledge of the procedures the group…

Conceptualizing the subject matter of interpersonal behavior was the primary objective of this study. Researchers administered version three of Lorr and McNair's Interpersonal Behavior Inventory (IBI) to 507 undergraduates at Cleveland State University. The first group received three copies of the IBI and were asked to rate themselves, rate a…

Social identity theory holds that social group memberships become part of the psychological self, affecting thoughts, feelings, and behavior. However, tests of this hypothesis have mainly involved judgmental dependent measures. A method is suggested that can provide more direct evidence. Discusses use of that method. (KW)