Encounter group participants were divided into four categories: high social anxiety/high risk taking propensity, high anxiety/low risk, low anxiety/high risk, and low anxiety/low risk. Two participants from each category were placed in each group. Results indicated high risk takers were seen as more verbally active, self-disclosing, and risk…

Describes a writing assignment designed to aid students' perception of audience, purpose, format, vocabulary, pertinent information, and peer editing. Establishes a framework for both independent student research and group work and revision. Encourages students to establish a rapport with groups to evaluate the writing's content, presentation,…

Reports refinements in a coding scheme of interpersonal argument and an analysis of argument structures in consensus and dissensus groups. Identifies four argument structures: simple, compound, eroded, and convergent. Notes that consensus groups had a greater proportion of convergent arguments than did dissensus groups. (SKC)

By challenging the traditional view of the teacher's authority, collaborative learning helps prepare students for effective interdependence in an increasingly collaborative world. Collaborative learning calls on levels of ingenuity and inventiveness that many students never knew they had. (MLW)

Instructional materials designed to teach high school age youth how to increase member involvement by delegating leadership were experimentally tested. New materials made a difference in one test situation. Positive correlations were found between group effectiveness and tendency toward delegation. (Author/CH)

Examines and compares theories of group development using a historical perspective, and presents a summary of the models of group development and their sequential stages. Identifies five trends in business and industry that characterize the group process: those relating to management style, need levels, transactional and transformational skills,…

Examined 13 training groups for which developmental patterns were previously established to test hypotheses relating individual development to group development. Results support hypothesis that changes in social constructs used by participants after training to describe themselves and others are a function of specific developmental patterns of the…

Rewriting activities are used by a teacher of the deaf to encourage children to express their ideas clearly, increase their vocabulary, work successfully as a group, and experiment with language. Each class rewrites a poem or short book once a week, does spontaneous oral rewrites, and rewrites each other's work. (VW)

Analyzes relationships among popularity, reading, and self-concept in 79 second grade students. Results indicate that high-SES (socioeconomic status) students were more popular than low-SES students, and that unpopularity correlated significantly with reading ability, self-concept, and SES. (MM)

Focuses on the interaction patterns of child life interns, nurses, parents, and other attending adults with hospitalized children. Hospital study uses quantitative/qualitative analyses. Suggests that more attention be given to sensitizing child life interns to the importance of involving parents in socially stimulating play with their children.…

Ninety children ages 6-15 (30 with autistic, 30 with mentally retarded, and 30 with nonhandicapped siblings) were interviewed concerning their sibling relationships. Among reported results was that, except for slightly more cohesive family relations, self-reports of children with nonhandicapped siblings did not differ from those of children with…

Points out the importance of effective group work in all aspects of education. Provides group members and leaders with 15 practical guidelines concerning member behavior in groups and task or structural characteristics of groups. Suggestions deal with issues such as communication styles, group maintenance, group size, and reaching consensus. (JHZ)

Developmental differences in school-age children's evaluation of explanations were assessed. Results revealed differences between reply types and an interaction between reply type and grade. Adult ratings paralleled children's. Only fifth-grade students varied their justifications across reply type, providing more content-specific justifications.…

Examines the influence of decision-making style on communication openness and satisfaction in Japanese organizations. Results of a survey indicated that Japanese employees preferred persuasive or consultative managerial decision-making styles and were more satisfied when their preferred decision-making style and the style of their manager were…

Describes a family study course required of nursing students at the University of Hartford. The course focuses on healthy family assessment and sharpens students' view of total patient care. (CH)