This article provides a primer for researchers exploring ethical issues in the research of group work. The article begins with an exploration of relevant ethical issues through the research process and current standards guiding its practice. Next, the authors identify resources that group work researchers can consult prior to constructing their…

Studies the processes of development in Kohlberg's (1981) moral systems and in Haan's (1983) interactional formulation, by comparing the effects of two curricular experiences for university students. The experiences were: discussion of hypothetical dilemmas which was designed to promote cognitive disequilibrium, and playing moral games, which was…

The sustained altruism of volunteers at a telephone crisis-counseling agency was examined. The rate of sustained altruism of normative volunteers in highly cohesive training groups was increased to a level comparable to that of autonomous volunteers, while the altruism of autonomous volunteers was not affected by the training group experience.…

Assessed contributions of familiarity, prior experience, and age to frequency and degree of social participation of preschoolers. Normative analysis of group differences indicated that sex, age, prior peer-group experience, and familiarity did not interact and that all of them independently affected 3- and 4-year-old preschoolers' social play.…

Single, elderly, childless women are a specialized population needing social support. To examine the association between life satisfaction and social support among this population, 65 women (30 widowed, 35 never-married) were interviewed and completed the Life Satisfaction Scale. An analysis of the results showed that the never-married sample had…

Recent research suggesting a link between loneliness and social networks and a difference between males and females in both the quantity and quality of relationships support the view that loneliness can be predicted by gender from social network variables. In one study, two samples were used to explore gender differences. Sample 1, 97 males and 82…

In teaching people to think, a theory is needed about the thought process and about how it is modified by intervention. Most approaches to training people to think focus on an intermediary or mediating process. To explore the effectiveness of a group support training method in modifying cognitive style, the performance of female college student…

Although it is commonly held that environmental, social, and psychological factors influence health, specific causal models of these influences are rarely tested directly. Methods of structural analysis were applied to the problem of the relationships among variables thought to influence the health status of college students. Data were collected…

Action Research on Change in Schools (ARCS) was a two-year collaborative action research project involving two groups of middle/junior high school teachers, one in Michigan and one in New Hampshire. While the purpose of the project for the university researchers was to examine individual change within the framework of collaborative action…

Presents results of a study contrasting different forms of group cohesiveness in a student military organization. Reports that task cohesiveness was more strongly associated with lower role uncertainty, higher individual performance, and lower absenteeism than was interpersonal cohesiveness. Concludes that data provide evidence for a…

Six doctoral students evaluated an educational leadership program they were in by participating in a focus group simulation. The students were all enrolled in or auditing a qualitative research course at Northern Arizona University's Center for Excellence in Education (NAU/CEE). Prior to the simulation participants were given instructions on the…

Describes availability and purpose of Japanese kindergartens and pre-school programs. Relates Japanese child rearing practices to expectations for the child in pre-school. Summarizes typical pre-school activities and their relation to nationally stated goals which focus on successful participation in group life, cooperation, self-reliance, and…

Twelve community residents (10 women, 2 men; average age = 67) registered for a continuing education class in "creative living for elders." In 10 weekly, 2-hour sessions, a clinical psychologist and two artists led the group in exercise, muscle relaxation, regulated breathing, guided imagery, affirmations, and sensory awareness integrated with art…

Reports on a study to examine and assess stress-levels of factors of anxiety, depression, and hostility present in a camp staff during a ten-week resident program. Results indicate that anxiety, depression, and hostility do not correlate directly or inversely with each other. (TW)

Presents the results of an experiment that examined the extent to which a single provocative incident can exacerbate negative feelings toward a group as a whole. After hearing an audiotaped interview where a Latvian student criticized U.S. college students, the U.S. students responded differently to slides showing Latvians. (MJP)