Two social psychological theories--similarity theory and equity theory--are employed to elucidate the relationship between group members' abilities and group performance on tasks involving high levels of interdependence. Contrasting hypotheses are drawn regarding specific ability compositions that should evoke performance above or below the simple…

Systematic methods are needed for studying group development over time. The method described here permits interpretive description of a group session, useful both for feedback to the group and for further study of group processes. (Author)

Sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health grant MH-08274.

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a method of examing communication in an organization by focusing on: (1) the complex interrelationships in human systems, particularly in communication systems; (2) interactions across subsystems and system boundaries; and (3) the need to select and "prioritize" channels which will eliminate noise in the…

The purpose of this paper was to measure small groups at various stages of their development and observe the effects of changes in group process on emergence of role types and the impact these roles have on group membership as a whole. Most small group measuring instruments have been built around a task-leader or socio-emotional leader dichotomy.…

Study result with Negro and Caucasian males of high and low socioeconomic status indicate that generally the respondents reflected a high level of success orientation, a moderate distribution of ambition reduction and a less pervasive level of the deviant orientation (acquiring desired ends by illicit means). Such observation appears to reflect…

Games are described as techniques for structuring a group situation to assist in acquiring cohesiveness. Discussed briefly are the Who Am I Game," the Lemon Game," the Face the Wall Game," and Would This Person Game." (Author/CJ)

Presents the various stages of the group process in terms of developmental tasks that pinpoint the relationship between process and structure. The tasks provide a conceptual foundation for use of group techniques by identifying specific purposes in group development. (Author)

Three levels of structured learning exercises were presented to groups of students meeting in interpersonal growth groups. The effects of structure on member anxiety, group cohesion, and quality of interpersonal interaction were assessed at two points. Initial structure was associated with increased levels of self-disclosure in early group…

The purpose of this paper was to explore the age-segregation of U.S. children in two situations--children's spontaneous groups and adult-organized activities--and to examine the developmental changes in children's companionship between infancy and adolescence. The companionship of 400 urban children ranging in age from 1 to 12 years was determined…

After a brief historical look at personal growth groups, this paper traces the steps involved in the development and evaluation of simulation materials which were designed to aid the group leader's understanding of his affect in the member/leader relationship. It examines the concept of this specific relationship in personal growth groups. Groups…

A science education process model was proposed for ultimate use in research on science teaching. In this model, classroom interaction was presented as the middle component of a three-phase system. The on-going process of classroom interaction was viewed in terms of a communications model: interaction exchanges provided communications paths through…

Summarizes research on small group processes by giving a comprehensive account of the types of variables primarily studied in the laboratory. These include group structure, group composition, group size, and group relations. Considers effects of power, leadership, conformity to social norms, and role relationships. (Author/AV)

The hypothesis was that structures built by group members in dealing with conflict and decision making would be contingent on their life styles. Three different sets of groups of persons with homogeneous life styles created three different (and predicted) structures in a problem-solving task. (Author)