"Chaos" theory is a revolutionary new paradigm developed by scientists to study the behavior of natural systems. "Chaos" refers to the tendency of dynamic non-linear systems toward irregular, sometimes unpredictable, yet deterministic behavior. Major tenets of the theory are presented. The precedent for use of models developed…

Recent investigations of the effects on group output of competitive contingencies, reward deliveries to group members contingent upon achieving a higher or lower task rate than another group, have suggested that competitive contingencies are a positive function of group output. When rewards are contingent upon a higher comparison outcome, group…

The study described in this volume investigated the talk of thirteen-year-old boys and girls, recorded while they were working in small groups on tasks set by their teachers. Specifically, research focused on the interplay between cognitive and communicative functions of speech in contexts planned for learning. "The Children and Their Talk"…

During the 60's, systems for the observation of classroom behavior have become an important area of educational research. Many new systems have been devised both for the evaluation of teaching techniques and for basic research into teaching processes. In the development of such systems the investigator must determine what behaviors are to be…

Videotaped group work lessons of an elementary school third grade class provide material for study of the non-verbal aspect of group behavior. A system of activity categories is developed and a typology of pupils' working methods in group study distinguishes types and characteristic forms of activity. The following activity categories are used in…

The study evaluates the effectiveness of a set of social studies activities in promoting cooperative interaction among junior high school students. A field experiment was designed to test three hypotheses: (1) groups which have previously worked together structure tasks more cooperatively than a newly formed group: (2) groups which have…