Investigates the impact of interpersonal relationships on decision-making success in small groups using a business simulation game as a research vehicle. The study concludes that group decision making may be unfavorably affected by personality conflicts. (Author/JJD)

Examines the quality of communicative interaction and task performance among younger and older women in relation to conversation distance and density. Results indicate that older persons exhibit positive communication behaviors in response to spatial intrusions while younger subjects show the negative, compensatory withdrawal behaviors normally…

Presents a study examining the effect of high and low communication apprehension in conjunction with social and personal settings upon verbal behavior. Stepwise multiple discriminant analysis of the data indicates several language variables that discriminate between the high apprehensive-personal setting group and the remaining groups. (JMF)

Loss through divorce, frequently involves a higher need for counseling than loss through death because the client frequntly receives a devalued self-concept when an active choice is made to terminate the relationship. The model presented has proven to be effective in assisting clients to reevaluate self-worth in a constructive manner. (Author)

Most marital difficulties are functions of childhood problems leading to childhood solutions. This paper emphasizes symbiotic aspects to marital problems in terms of the individual's existential position and his racket/racketeering behavior. The goal of treatment is to have the individual utilize resources for himself and negotiate resources for…

Attempts to demonstrate how recipient design can structure an interaction. Choices of words and phrases, intonation, and the larger structure of the discourse itself are all made with a greater or lesser awareness of others' reactions. Evidence of how recipient design is at the service of altercasting is found in shared knowledge, agreement, and…

This study examined changes in the social interactions of children with and without disabilities, who were enrolled in inclusive preschool classes. It investigated the frequency of child participation in groups during free play, differences in participation patterns of children with and without disabilities, and ways in which children's patterns…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between classroom orientation and sociometric patterns within the classroom are presented in this paper. Methodology involved observation of 12 classrooms in Ontario and administration of two survey instruments to 20 fourth-year students. Classroom orientations were categorized as cooperative,…

How infants and toddlers become skilled social actors has not been examined as often as the peer interactions of older children. This study examined 24, middle-class toddlers (ages 23 to 33 months) in 9 different settings during their free-play time at a university-cooperative nursery school. Researchers analyzed 150 social bids which were either…

Six severely mentally retarded students (ages 9-16) were paired with six nonhandicapped fourth- and fifth-graders (Group 1) who received training to act as tutors during outdoor recess. Six of their nonhandicapped friends (Group 2) received no training. Group 3 consisted of all other fourth- and fifth-graders who were also present during the…

This paper briefly reviews studies pertaining to the imitation of facial gestures in early infancy. It is suggested that imitation provides for the initiation of a reciprocal exchange between mother and infant, but does not sustain such an interaction, since this requires a continually varied and changing pattern of gestures. Thus there is an…

This investigation assessed the importance of orientation behavior on group consensus and the individual satisfaction of participants. Students in four sections of an introductory speech course rated each classmate on a seven-point scale according to orientation behavior as manifested in the ability to resolve conflict, reinforce agreement,…

The unprecedented development of self-help groups confirms their importance, but few studies have focused on prevention and self-help groups. Two methods for investigating preventive potential are outcome studies and process analysis. To assess the presence of helping processes in self-help group meetings, a process analysis was developed to…

The notion of symmetrical communication and its application in course teams at Deakin University, Australia, are considered. Symmetry in communications is evident in groups characterized by mutual recognition by members of one another as persons accepted and appreciated in their common striving for mutual understanding and consensus. The technique…