Research has shown that educators may be reluctant to implement group work in their teaching due to concerns about students partaking in off-task behaviours. However, such off-task interactions have been shown to promote motivation, trust, and rapport-building. This paper details a study in which student groups were video recorded as they engaged…

Numerous researchers discuss the solidarity-producing effects of crime, natural disasters and mass tragedies; however, there is much we do not understand about the processes involved in the phenomena. We specify the social relationships that "generate" and "sustain" solidarity by building on Hunter's descriptions of the…

Examined the relationship between group processes and group performance and cohesion in task and social groups using college students (N=160) as subjects. Found results supported the conceptual distinction between cohesion and performance and the importance of processes dealing with both the task and group maintenance. (Author/ABL)

Used group development stage theory to investigate team development patterns in an academic setting. Twenty-nine teams of undergraduate college students enrolled in a study skills improvement course met weekly for five weeks and completed the Team Development Rating Scale at the conclusion of the meeting. Found some support for three patterns of…

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…

To assess the effect of feedback combinations in group interactions, 28 college students participated in a two hour workshop and then completed feedback ratings. Results indicated differences in credibility, desirability, cohesion, and evaluation, with the positive-negative-positive feedback combination being most effective. (BL)

Investigated self-disclosure in college students (N=144) who were assigned to groups of four receiving either a self-disclosure or placebo treatment. Found self-disclosure intervention resulted in significantly higher group cohesiveness, commitment to task and productivity; females demonstrated greater cohesiveness and commitment to task than did…

Presents study results examining social pressure within sexually homogenous groups. Explains that cohesiveness, based on common beliefs, was established in half of the sample while prevented in the remainder. Reports that groups were required to reach consensus after conflict was introduced. Concludes that low cohesion groups showed the greatest…

Examined acceptance and congruence in four Tavistock groups consisting of college student volunteers (N=30) using scales measuring curative factors, group process, and congruence. Found participants with higher rankings on the group acceptance measures experienced greater degrees of congruence following the group experience. Discusses implications…

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…

Conducted two studies in which subjects (N=216) faced the dilemma of how to harvest resources from a shared pool when faced with external catastrophies and given opportunities to steal. Results showed that tying the individual's outcome to the rest of the group is good for the group. (LLL)

Examines the function of conflict in the process of achieving group consensus. Available from: Human Communication Research, Robert L. Cox, Executive Secretary, International Communication Association, Box 8563 University Station, Austin, Texas 78712. Telephone: 512-471-4821. Subscription Rates: institutional or non-members, $15.00 per year;…

To assess whether communication behaviors differ between high and low consensus groups, a study considered the comparative interaction of the first meetings of high and low consensus groups, the first and final meetings of high consensus groups, and the first and final meetings of low consensus groups. Subjects, 84 students in a small group…

In a longitudinal field experiment, 42 groups were assembled on the factors of individual ability and attitude similarity resulting in a 2 x 2 crossed ANOVA design. These groups then worked on six projects which spanned a three-month time period. For each project, measures of group performance and group cohesion were taken. Analyses showed that…