The relationship between psychosocial and cultural factors as potential mediators of intercultural group conflict among adolescents was studied. The study population for this ongoing study consists of mostly adolescent males aged 13 to 18 years who are attending court schools in California, and who are likely to be on probation or in restricted…

The use of groups in both the workplace and schools has been increasing. In the workplace, groups reflective of a growing trend toward worker participation in management have been variously referred to as self-managing work teams, self-directed work groups, quality circles, autonomous work groups, and cross-functional teams. Schools have used many…

This study examined the attitudes of 140 children ages 2 through 7 toward mixed-age grouping in a Slovenian kindergarten (preschool) setting. On four consecutive Friday mornings the children, normally grouped in classes aged 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years, and 5-7 years, were given the opportunity to switch classes and play among children of…

This book describes how talk is used to build social organization within face-to-face interaction among a group of urban black children, an analysis providing the opportunity to study language, culture, and social organization from an integrated perspective. Children from a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood were tape-recorded during peer-group…

The interactive effects of leader characteristics, follower characteristics, and the task situation on leader behavior were assessed. Focuses of the investigation were the degree of leader-follower compatibility, Vertical Dyad Linkage (VDL) versus the Average Leadership Style analysis of leader behavior, and the general problem of assessing leader…

A study examined developmental trends in the quality and outcomes of disagreements occurring in the conversation of small groups of acquainted peers. Specifically, the study focused on the relationship of disagreeing and arguing sequences to the general level of topical coherence achieved in the conversation as a whole. Five discussion groups,…

Author discusses employing knowledge of group dynamics in conducting a series of sessions with teachers focused around the interaction of teacher and child in the classroom. It is a method of reaching more youngsters, and presents the psychologist with an opportunity to use skills for which he is uniquely trained. (Author/PC)

A description is given of a cooperative learning experience conduct with small groups of racially mixed, underachieving high school students. Twenty-nine students were organized in groups of three or four members each. The groups worked together in all laboratory assignments and daily work, and studied together for quizzes and tests in a science…

The organizational model was designed to allow faculty members in a large academic department to participate in decisions concerning courses, curriculum, and programs. Rather than encouraging faculty to work independently on teaching and committee assignments, the model promotes the sharing of information, teamwork, and interdepartmental…

This study of 22 preschool classrooms examined differential interaction patterns of 11 compensatory education teachers toward students who were members of ethnic or racial majorities or minorities in their classes. A group was considered to be a class minority if it constituted less than 30 percent of the class. The study was designed to determine…

This paper reports on a year-long study of two preschool children's patterns of social adjustment and peer response. The theoretical orientation of the paper is interactionist. Patterns of adjustment and group response are described as social constructions which stigmatized the two children studied. The 24 children in the group came from…

Small all-female, all-male, and mixed-gender discussion groups were selected from among freshman composition students to discuss papers which the students had written. The use of particle markers (i.e., "well,""ok,""um," etc.) was also examined. Findings suggest that women's speech seems to be better adapted to…

Boundary breakers, the modern term for "icebreakers," tear down barriers that sometimes form within student groups and organizations, and offer a low-risk way for group members to become better acquainted. This document is a "hands on" booklet that covers such boundary-breaking activities as "Send a Letter,""The Lap Game,""One-Minute Interview,"…

This short book, based on the Swedish experience, explores the concept and the operation of study circles. The book is organized in nine sections. The first section looks at the various definitions of study circles in history and the literature, arriving at a broad working concept of study circles. This is followed by an overview of the…

This preliminary report examines the complex relationship between black adolescents' school performance and black Americans' intragroup social organization, as well as the intrusive influence of the larger social structure. It is based on a two-year ethnographic study of high school students in a black section of Washington, D.C. Emphasis is on…