The author investigates the imaginative play of children online as they seek a common, shared space with others, in which to play. She looks at components of children's online play experiences, including mediated actions, discourses, literacies, sense of belonging, and online restrictions as they moved between digital and nondigital realities. She…

Peer group mentoring can serve as a meaningful developmental experience and outlet for women. Historically, as well as in contemporary contexts, women have been excluded from traditional mentoring relationships and developmental opportunities. In this paper, the authors utilize the lived experiences and voices of one dozen executive-level…

Group mentoring programs offer multiple routes for influencing development, through both one-on-one relationships and relational processes in the group context. Less explored is how the group context impacts one-on-one relationships. This study investigated how the group influences the development of the mentor-mentee relationship in a group and…

Although previous studies have reported that the broad autism phenotype is associated with reduced relationship quality within established relationships, understanding how this association emerges requires assessment prior to relationship development. In the present longitudinal study, college roommates with minimal familiarity prior to…

This research study examined student perceptions of group experiences in the classroom. The author used cooperative learning and team-based learning to focus on three characteristics that are critical for the success of groups: structure of activities, relationships of group members, and accountability of group members. Results indicated that…

Trust between group members has been suggested as an important part of small group work in online classrooms. Developing interpersonal relationships with group members may promote a sense of trust among them; however, research shows mixed results. The current study explored how students' perceptions of the importance of interpersonal relationships…

Examined whether self-selected roommates showed higher rapport and fewer midyear roommate changes than did randomly assigned roommates. Results from 147 residential college students seemed to indicate that self-selected incoming freshmen roommate pairs were more likely to stay together than were their randomly assigned counterparts. Such…

Results of this study demonstrate the importance of the level of psychological risk and the quality of the interpersonal orientation of structured group exercises. (Author)

Examined friendship formation as developing a common understanding of social reality. Individuals engaged in weekly discussions completed repertory grids and attraction ratings after the 4th and 18th weeks of acquaintance. Deteriorating partnerships were significantly less similar in their assessment of other group members than were developing…

Reports the findings of a study in which Israeli college students, living in high-rise (males=30, females=30) and low dormitories (males=30, females=30), responded during interviews to questionnaires concerning their help-giving, help-seeking, and help-reciprocating behaviors. (DC)

These studies conducted before and after implementation of an international residence program indicate the proximity of American students to foreign students in conventional residence halls. International halls encourage cross-cultural interaction and interest in international activities. (NRB)

Forty-eight suburban seventh-grade science students (41 nonhandicapped, nine severely adaptively handicapped) were assigned to cooperative learning (CL) and individual learning (IL) conditions. Among results were that the CL condition favored more interaction and interpersonal attraction between the handicapped and nonhandicapped children.…

Determined that perceived effort and ability of a low-performing group member had an impact on the other members' liking for the low-performing member. Results indicated that when future contact in work or social settings was assumed, group members expressed greater attraction to high-effort than to low-effort partners. (Author/DB)

Examined the relationship of learning styles and interpersonal relationship needs of human relations group members. A group leader should be aware of learning styles of group members, for these will influence how members participate, what they invest themselves in, and the learnings they may experience in the group. (Author/CC)

Explored relationship between group members' (n=61) interpersonal problems and their perception of group climate. Found that group members who perceived themselves as too dominant experienced group climate as more avoiding and tense. Those who perceived themselves as too cold and as not having problems with assertiveness perceived group climate as…