An alternative to homogeneous grouping, involving direct assessment of academic productivity and pre-training for group work, is illustrated by two experiments which used contingency management techniques to develop and maintain high rates of academic productivity in a group of two boys with school adjustment problems and in a larger group. (KW)

The growth of the popularity of encounter groups brings up some questions: (1) who can best benefit from groups; (2) what qualities are necessary for proper leadership; (3) how can group objectives be clearly defined. (CJ)

Interview with former graduate student imprisoned for bombing, who now rejects student militant politics. (IR)

Results obtained with three methods of measuring three functional roles in initially leaderless small groups were factor analyzed. Results are discussed in terms of role differentiation and on implications of generalizing results obtained through one measurement procedure to those obtained with other procedures. (Author)

Examines a study in which 15 freshmen and 15 seniors at Princeton University used 60 trait adjectives, 20 of which were student slang, to describe people they knew. Confirms that multidimensional scaling (MDS) reflects changes in semantic structure as a function of group membership. (MB)

Analyzes the composing processes of three children, aged two to four, as they composed with a responsible adult in a group setting. (HOD)

After different conceptualizations of behavior in terms of personal and situational variables have been outlined, Endler's arguments on situational specificity are discussed and his data found not to warrant his conclusions. It is argued that there is no antagonism between interactionism and conditioned situationism or personologism. (Author/SJL)

This study used the Self-Consciousness Scale to test the hypothesis that socially anxious people could seek to avoid embarrassment and do poorly in small group discussions as a result. Those people high in private self-consciousness (lacking concern for social evaluation) would participate more in discussions. Findings supported the hypothesis.…

Observations were made of the social participation, constructiveness of play, and communicative interactions of developmentally delayed and non-delayed preschool children as they interacted in heterogeneous groups. The only significant effect of heterogeneous group composition on the children was reduced inappropriate play by severely delayed…

Results indicated that different types of play environment strongly influence preschool children's types of social play and play group size. Differences in cognitive level and social egocentrism influenced the choice of play environment. (Author/DB)