Two-phase testing assesses individual performance (phase 1) and then allows collaborative learning within small groups (phase 2). While groups typically outperform individuals, less is known about the social decision schemes that influence member collaboration. In a classroom setting, we compared individual and group performance on a standard test…

The Women Writing Women Collective was a collegial and collaborative response to the isolation that is often experienced by women scholars as they pursue their academic careers. For 5 years, a group of women gathered on a monthly basis to share their writing. In doing so, the group members provided a sounding board for each other as they engaged…

The Multi-Attribute Consensus Building (MACB) method is a quantitative approach for determining a group's opinion about the importance of each item (strategy, decision, recommendation, policy, priority, etc.) on a list (Vanderwood, & Erickson, 1994). This process enables a small or large group of participants to generate and discuss a set…

Groups are ubiquitous in outdoor education and while there is a lot of literature on groups, there is limited examination of the assumptions made about groups and the effects these assumptions have on the practices of outdoor education. I utilise some of Michel Foucault's (1992) tools to investigate literature on outdoor education groups.…

Discusses the definition and origin of the term "groupthink." Examines three studies on groupthink by John Courtright (1978), Matie Flowers (1977), and Philip Tetlock (1979). Concludes none of the three is superior to another but that it can be learned from all three that group decision making is fraught with danger. (ABL)

Heterosexually balanced groups were exposed to encounter-group tapes instructing them to share initmate experiences. Examples of high self-disclosure and openness were presented. Exercises differed only in instructions and accompanying behavioral examples. Results indicated that higher levels of disclosure produced greater group cohesiveness on…

Focuses on the beliefs and understandings of one of the academic tribes, adult/continuing/lifelong education. Considers what this group might have to say and share with another group on management learning. (Author/CCM)

The stimulus value of group boundaries was investigated in a field experiment. It was hypothesized that the size of a group and the status of its members would reduce the permeability of a boundary around an interacting group. Two or 4 interacting people of high or low status interrupted the traffic flow in a university hallway. Results indicate…

The development of cohesion and attraction-to-group and the role these variables play warrants serious consideration. A first step toward more adequate conceptualization is separation of the concepts, with the former viewed as a group phenomenon and the latter as the individual's identification with the group. (Author)

Investigated the relationship between establishment of pregroup goals and postgroup assessment of progress toward goals. Participants were categorized by selection of goals, with interpersonal-relationship and self-confidence goals determining the category. The progress-toward-goal post-test revealed more progress on top-ranking goals than on…

Presents a study designed to contrast the effects of task-based and interpersonal cohesiveness on group performance of students. Concludes that high task cohesion helped group performance, while interpersonal attraction had no apparent effect. Finding that increased interpersonal cohesion improved task commitment, the authors suggest that…

This book is a general report on aspects of group processes in elementary and secondary schools with reference to appropriate research. Group processes are defined as changes in the social unit known as the group that take place over a period of time; the expected changes occur in three domains--cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. The book…

This paper reports on the relationships between group composition, leadership and decisions through a study of small groups engaged in preferential bargaining about problems with open solution sets. The relationships were analyzed and can be compared best against the background of traditional approaches. (Author)

As result of personal experience, author examines two cultural groups, with Chinese approach leading to group unity and contentment through conformity. Person-centered approach leads to sense of community and sense of freedom coupled with anxiety from being responsible for choosing one's life. (Author/CMG)

A study examined the relationship between participation and performance in groups to determine whether increased communicative activity brought about through participation in groups resulted in the acquisition of specific types of organizational knowledge and increased motivation which positively affected performance. Subjects for the study were…