College students (N=419) completed the Self-Disclosure Situations Survey measuring the social-situational determinants of self-disclosure. Studied four research questions about the effects of setting and gender on self-disclosure. Research indicated that males self-disclose more in dyads than in small groups and females self-disclose more in…

Research supported by grant MH-08667 from the National Institute of Mental Health, and Public Health Service General Research Support grant 1-S01-FR-05632-02 from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Two studies are presented in which three fourth- or fifth-graders, assigned to five experimentally-created conditions which differed systematically in presence or absence of task-roles and group roles, were asked to cooperate in making a block-pattern on a round board. Behavior was pre-coded in various group-oriented and individual-oriented…

Leader behavior of males and females in three-person experimental groups was investigated in varying contexts. Deviating from stereotypical expectations, females reacted to "achieved" leader role by relatively intense leadership efforts, a response predicted for males but not females. Also, both sexes addressed more directive behavior toward own…

Tabulated the frequencies of dyadic and group interactions in single-sex playgroups of 4- and 6-year-olds. Found that boys and girls at both ages engaged in similar frequencies but in different patterns of dyadic interactions. Only 6-year-old boys interacted in groups. (BC)

A study investigated the effect of computer-mediated communication, or computer conferencing, on traditional gender-based differences in discussion participation, including patterns in turn-taking, perceptions of the kinds of contributions made by men and women, and actual contributions made. Continued potential for gender imbalance is found. (MSE)

The "diffusion of responsibility" hypothesis as an explanation of helping behavior (or lack of same) is qualified by suggesting that the hypothesis applies only in non-interacting situations. It is hypothesized that interacting groups who are aware of a help-demanding situation actually focus the responsibility and, therefore, take action as a…

Draws on self-categorization theory (use of social characteristics to define psychological groups and promote positive self-identity) to explore the effects of demographic diversity on an individual's psychological and behavior attachment to an organization. Membership in a majority-dominated social group may both satisfy the minority member's…

This paper reports a study of the characteristics of the social interaction of single sex and mixed groups. Two all male groups, two all female groups, and two mixed groups were studied over five 90-minute sessions. Interaction data was gathered by two observers who recorded each time a member spoke and to whom he/she spoke. Group meetings were…

THIS EXPERIMENT WAS DESIGNED TO FURTHER EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS OF THE GENERAL "SUBSTRATA-FACTOR THEORY OF READING" AND TO TEST TWO HYPOTHESES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL OF SUCH KNOWN-GROUPS AS (1) TOTAL, (2) BOYS VERSUS GIRLS, (3) BRIGHT VERSUS DULL, (4) FAST VERSUS SLOW READERS, AND (5) POWERFUL VERSUS NONPOWERFUL READERS. THE MAJOR…

This study is an attempt to apply ethological tools of observation and analysis to the social behavior of 25 communally-reared children, ages 6 months to 4 years. The focus of this analysis is aggression and dominance relations. Findings indicate that: (1) agonistic behavior reveals stable and linear dominance hierarchies for children from 6…