The open time-extended group, run by multiple counselors, adds a facilitating dimension to the counseling function--a dimension that exemplifies the concepts of self-growth and self-actualization by first providing the atmosphere for the client and then by allowing him to progress at his own rate and to a depth which he determines. An open group…

The stimulus value of group boundaries was investigated in a field experiment. It was hypothesized that the size of a group and the status of its members would reduce the permeability of a boundary around an interacting group. Two or 4 interacting people of high or low status interrupted the traffic flow in a university hallway. Results indicate…

In this experiment two variables relevant to explaining the social support phenomenon were investigated. Response position of the partner (first vs fourth) and contact between partner and S prior to the group situation (contact vs. no contact) were manipulated. Male and female Ss responded to visual, information, and opinion items in a group…

This dissertation address concerns the distribution of influence in decision-making groups. One general hypothesis of the study was that influence perceptions of group members depend upon the phases of decision-making in which they participate. Another was that the effects of participation would vary with the nature of the decision task or with…

A STUDY WAS REPORTED OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL-COSMOPOLITAN ORIENTATION, A CONCEPT FROM REFERENCE GROUP THEORY, AND THE RESISTANCE TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 329 PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS IN FIVE CONTIGUOUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WHICH WERE TO LOSE THEIR INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES UNDER THE…

Little is known about subordinate attributions connected with perceptions of supervisory influence. Data about first- and second-level supervisors from a nationwide insurance organization revealed that perceived supervisory influence was significantly related to perceptions of supervisory effectiveness, influence over valued rewards and the task,…

The relationship between a group's power and prestige or status hierarchy and group members' patterns of reward allocation was investigated. The addition of evidence concerning actual task performance results in the alignment of reward and status rankings and encourages the use of distribution rules stressing equity as opposed to equality.…

Generally little emphasis is placed on the socioecological characteristics of groups. The Group Environment Scale (GES) provides a means to systematically consider environmental influences within groups. Various uses of GES are explained and a case example using the GES in a prison setting is presented. (Author)

Examines the proposition that the "leader" role is an unconscious myth invented by members of a group to ward off anxieties and uncertainties associated with day-to-day exercise of interpersonal power. Focuses on describing the myth, its consequences for the involvement of group members, and researchable propositions derivable from the myth.…

Defines dispersion as the degree to which the membership of an organization is spatially distributed and contends that employees' attitudes within an organization are affected by their employment level and the relative level of dispersion of their work location. (Available from the Journal of Applied Communications Research, Ed., Drawer NJ,…

The research reported in this article examines the accuracy of outside observers in perceiving emergent leadership in small groups. The level of precision reflected in the average of all subjects, indicated that the observers were generally accurate in knowing how group members were rated by their group. (Author/KM)

Describes use of sociograms in the classroom to cause students to work with others who are generally isolated. Such attempts resulted in more participation in activities by shy students and increased cooperation among students, and overall higher scores by students on tests. (PS)

Among the findings was that the heterogeneous groups showed more change on the FIRO scale. Also, on rating scales measuring positive feeling towards group, the initial superiority of homogeneous groups was reduced by the end of the T group and that heterogeneous groups manifested more significant increases. (Author/CG)