A study investigated whether the interaction patterns of high consensus groups differed significantly from the patterns of low consensus groups in the final stage of a decision-making task. Eighty-four college students placed into 19 groups were told to select a social problem, investigate it, and develop a solution. At the end of the three-week…

The relative power of cooperative and trusting patterns of behavior versus those of exploitation and distrust in affecting the results of group decision-making processes was investigated. The outcome of a study using the Prisoner's Dilemma Game seems to suggest the disproportionate influence of competitive people in these settings. (Author)

Examines and explains relational control interaction patterns in two decision-making groups and two women's consciousness-raising groups. Analyzes the interaction data using a Markov model and tracking the control dimension of relationships over time. (JMF)

To assess whether communication behaviors differ between high and low consensus groups, a study considered the comparative interaction of the first meetings of high and low consensus groups, the first and final meetings of high consensus groups, and the first and final meetings of low consensus groups. Subjects, 84 students in a small group…

Offers support for the idea that dissonance is aroused only if the consequences of a discrepant action are known in advance and responsibility freely assumed. Graphs, tables, and bibliography. (RW)

Analyzed the complete interaction of high and low consensus groups in a basic small group course. Interaction analysis indicated that both the relational and content levels of communication are significantly different for high versus low consensus groups. The conclusion that increased feedback leads to decision satisfaction was confirmed. (JAC)

Reports on the news gathering behaviors of 24 mass media science writers. Concludes that organizational constraints were the major factors determining news selection strategies, but that individual-level variables came into play at both the information gathering and writing stages. (RL)

Ninety college students were randomly assigned to be high or low-power and interacted with another who consistently cooperated, consistently competed, or alternately cooperated and competed. Low-power persons were hypothesized to be motivated to take another's cognitive perspective in order to reduce their uncertainty and to help them decide how…

Compared the interaction of normal families and families with a drug-abusing member in order to describe the differences in their communication patterns. Concluded that addict families generally display more rigid communication patterns than do normal families. (PD)

The news gathering behaviors of 24 mass media science writers were examined at individual (occupational) and organizational levels through personal interviews, observation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and content analysis of the stories produced. Data indicated that organizational constraints…

Two studies compared individuals at high- and low-risk for child physical abuse on measures of social information processing. In both studies, either childless women or mothers read vignettes of parent-child interactions in which the child's compliance was difficult to interpret. High- and low-risk participants used different evaluation standards…

This report discusses the question of the appropriateness of teacher behaviors in relation to both the counting of frequencies of teacher behaviors and the interpretation of the impact of teacher behaviors on student learning. The recent focus, in research on teaching, on the counting of teacher behaviors gives rise to a concern for the meaning as…