Extends control systems theory to analyze purposive collective behaviors, ranging from simple to complex, involving small and large groups. Suggests that complex collective phenomena can be explained as the repetition or combination of individual and collective sequences of action. Posits that control systems theory can be used to elucidate…

Research suggests that cooperative learning works best when students are first taught group-processing skills, such as leadership, decision making, communication, trust building, and conflict management. Inadequate teacher training and boring assignments can torpedo cooperative learning efforts. Administrators should reassure teachers with…

Evaluation of 80 outdoor-based training programs showed (1) improvement in overall work group functioning; (2) no significant changes in individual behavior; (3) different effects for intact versus nonintact work groups, voluntary participation, gender composition, and supervisor presence; and (4) impact of facilitator training on group…

Describes a classroom project that involved students creating their own foreign language videos while working in small groups. The first part of the program consists of students viewing authentic video from television news broadcasts. The second part has students producing a French newscast and then their own video version of a traditional fairy…

In two studies, the Team Development Indicator was repeatedly administered to intact work groups participating in intensive 48-hour residential corporate adventure training (CAT) and various follow-up procedures. CAT significantly improved team behaviors in all training groups, but improvements were maintained or increased only in groups that…

Discusses variations on the theme of personal identity that can be used in second-language instruction. Suggested techniques include "role-playing" using I.D. cards containing simple information such as name, age and physical characteristics and variations of "20 questions," where students must guess a mystery person's "identity" by asking…

Examined effects of leader versus member deliverer status, member defensiveness level, and group development stage on corrective feedback acceptance among 36 graduate students in counseling who participated in training groups emphasizing counseling skill development and personal growth. Although measures of acceptance discriminated between levels…

Examines the theory of William Gamson's "Strategy of Social Protest." Reviews criticism of the work and Gamson's response. Reports the results of a study variously analyzing data according to concerns of Gamson's critics. Suggests that displacement and group factionalism are the major predictors of protest group success. (DK)

A group of 33 municipal government managers received training in teamwork and feedback skills. Compared to 32 controls, the treatment group perceived their teams as more effective. Increased use of feedback skills caused managers to view themselves and their work groups as more proactive, engaged, and cohesive. (SK)

Outlines method of fostering self-exploration and group interaction among counselors-in-training. Describes lifeline process as having students draw horizontal line with dot at each end representing their birth and death, drawing dot to represent where they presently are on lifeline, and recording positive and negative experiences chronologically…

Explores the effects of Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) on small group communication and decision-making processes. Finds that comparing GDSS, manual, and baseline conditions enables separation of effects resulting from procedural structures from those resulting from computerization. Results support some aspects of the research model and…

Presents three exercises that deal with issues in communication: (1) icebreaking techniques for seminar groups, including individual, pair, and small group formats; (2) a workshop that stresses cooperative groupwork, including competitive teams; and (3) a workshop that encourages assertiveness in learning situations and discusses submissiveness,…

Reviews literature on group leadership from various theoretical orientations and maintains that variable group leadership functions are necessary to address needs of different client populations and to adapt to different clinical settings. Describes four leadership functions found to be related to outcome in research by Lieberman, Yalom, and Miles…

Explores the role of culture in shaping interpersonal interactions. Investigates the effect of group identity on subjects' levels of attributional confidence, their individuation of group members, and ultimately their interpersonal-interaction strategies. Discovers that the perceived homogeneity of group values eases intragroup interaction. (PRA)

Articulates the salient features of a dissensus-centered pedagogy as utilized in a multicultural composition classroom. Foregrounds the actions of one peer response group in a class designed to be multicultural and to value difference. Explores the role of difference in the workings of collaborative groups. (HB)