Effective groups differed from less effective groups in the areas of shared values, adherence to norms related to participation, methods of participating in the work and in the areas of satisfaction with the human and material resources that affected their group behavior. (Author)

Forty members of service and social groups were compared for intervention in a simulated emergency situation during the experimental discussion. Service group members were more likely to intervene than social group members, and intervention was made more probable when group norms were made salient in the discussion. (Author/SD)

One of the more interesting facets of the philosophy of science today is the stress placed on the sociology of knowledge. People have slowly come to realize that knowledge is to a great extent conditioned by the ambience, the social milieu in which it exists. In the present paper, an attempt is made to draw a miniature socio-profile of the field…

This paper is an analysis of some of the literature concerning group mediated risk taking. Jhangiani explores Brown's V-theory, which states that members of a society try to realize its cultural ideals in their behavior; Nordhoy's theory of cultural values, which states that "In the group, the impact of values which are commonly accepted in the…

All human development is social-situational--that is, it is the result of continued interaction between personal maturation and socialization into group life. For most Americans, it is families and schools under whose direct influence a large proportion of preadult life is spent. Within these communities are subgroups based on age, sex,…

This experiment was designed to test the motivation to perform a task for males and females in mixed and same-sex groups. Individuals in homogeneous groups (four males or four females) or heterogeneous groups (two males and two females) clapped their hands alone, in pairs and in foursomes. People exerted more effort alone than in groups,…

Focusing on the origins and consequences of group activity, this paper discusses the effects of interest groups on school governance and policy in light of various theories. Data for the study were derived from interviews conducted in 1968 with board members and superintendents in 83 U.S. school districts. Major findings are that the intensity of…

This study investigates the relationship between membership in a homophile organization and the dependent variables Self-Esteem and Alienation. It was found that Self-Esteem remained unaffected while Alienation levels decreased initially but started rising again after a 1-year period of participation in the organization. (Author)

This research essentially presents an overview, historically and contemporarily, of the social-psychological concept of the reference group (or "other"), including theoretical and empirical literature reviews. Basic problems of definition and conceptual confusion are discussed. Concepts such as relative deprivation, anticipatory socialization,…

James Coleman's theory of high school leading crowd is tested. Changes over the school year are measured for students at Newlawn High, a suburban, working-class school, using data from Coleman's "Adolescent Society" study. (Editor)

This discussion is concerned with the rationale and method of the Woodard Outreach Group Model. Included is a description of some of the theoretical and strategic matters involved with this method of working with small groups. Examples are presented illustrating ways in which the model has been modified and used with success in a variety of…

For some time, cultural anthropologists have attempted to explain regularities of behavior in large groups (nations, tribes, etc.) through a series of studies generally known as "national character" or "modal personality" studies. The investigation reported here attempts to adapt the "modal personality" approach to…

An "ad hoc" questionnaire was administered to 10 students from each of 10 student groups. Each group's behavior was rated according to its degree of deviation from the established code of conduct for organized campus groups. Demographic and sociometric data was collected, as well as a measurement of the respondents' knowledge about the campus, and…

This is a final report, for administrative purposes, of studies to be published in the general category of mathematical theory of social groups, with emphasis on the large groups typical of educational communities. Since the study of the large and complicated structures of high school and college communities is difficult by purely empirical…