We illustrate the idiographic/nomothetic debate by comparing 3 approaches to using daily self-report data on affect for predicting relationship quality and breakup. The 3 approaches included (a) the first day in the series of daily data; (b) the mean and variability of the daily series; and (c) parameters from dynamic factor analysis, a…

Over the past few years, the focus group method has assumed a very important role as a method for collecting qualitative data in social and behavioural science research. This article elucidates theoretical and practical problems and prospects associated with the use of focus groups as a qualitative research method in social and behavioural science…

Facilitating successful focus groups requires both science and art. One element that can fully challenge focus group facilitators includes how to handle the unfocused focus group. This article describes "unfocus" and the benefits and disadvantages of unfocus in focus groups. Lessons learned from and approaches taken on this journey are shared to…

The results of these experiments strongly suggest that the occurrence of behavioral contagion depended on the relative advantage an initiator's action establishes over the other members of the group. (SD)

Supported by ONR Contract 4679 from the Group Psychology Branch, Office of Naval Research.

Cites the importance of computers and of mathematical graph theory in describing the key features of group structures and compares research based on these methods to research carried out by social psychologists in the 1940s and 1950s. Identifies major problems in the collection of network data about large groups whose boundaries are not…

Experiment revealed that the number of arguments had a more significant effect on individual shifts than did interpersonal comparison. (SP)

Suggests that group members' apprehension about communicating in groups can potentially mediate the effects of group versus individual brainstorming upon performance. (MH)

By extending Fiedler's conception of leader orientation, it was hypothesized that groups led by trainers oriented toward the group members most liked by their group are more effective-in terms of member satisfaction and achievement of group goals-than group trainers oriented toward least-liked members of their group. This hypothesis was tested by…

The purpose of this study was the development and testing of an instrument for measuring interaction behavior in small group communication. It was designed to produce valid and reliable measures for each dimension of such behavior. (Author/JB)

Proposes that the member of a pair who is underrewarded or overrewarded by this partner is motivated to reciprocate and to restore equity, but one who is rewarded by chance is motivated only to restore equity. (MB)