This book is intended to assist group leaders, teachers, counselors, and peer helpers in the development of relationships and active learning. The first chapter, "Icebreakers," begins with an overview that explains the nature, purpose, and importance of these activities. Icebreakers are used to help group members learn about each other in a…

A study examining small group performance replicated and extended a previous study by L. Kelly and R. L. Duran to reanalyze their operationalization of cohesiveness. To test the hypotheses of the original study and to explore questions about using the polarization index as an indication of group cohesiveness, the study used a large number of…

Problems in organizational groups are often defined around one pivotal and difficult group member. Based upon C. Stohl and S. Schell's concepts of farrago (a confusing group member who becomes the relational focus of the group), 28 undergraduate students and management personnel who frequently participate in group work were interviewed to validate…

Relationships between cognitive and social-cognitive characteristics of group members and group performance were assessed, using 96 adults. A method for conceptualizing and modeling group performance is presented. People working in newly formed small groups on written problems emphasizing divergent/creative solutions generally produce…

This module is designed to help prospective school counselors expand their understanding of group process, examine their own attitudes and behaviors in groups, and learn components for facilitating small group process with self/career development themes. The module begins with a short review of research on effective counselors and a brief…