The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of group size on toddlers' peer interactions and social interactions with mothers. In particular, the study sought to answer the following questions: (1) When both mothers and peers are available to the child, with whom does he/she prefer to play? and (2) Are there differences in the types of…

Intended to aid media and other technical specialists who lack training in ethnographic research to understand what ethnography is, what ethnographers do, and how they, the media specialists, can be of most assistance when working on a team conducting such research, this paper discusses the nature of ethnographic research and issues involved in…

The 73 papers in this collection were presented at the 1981 Summer Argumentation Conference, the purpose of which was to bring together interested scholars to discuss recent developments and research in argumentation. The four primary areas of study considered at the conference--argument, argumentation and forensics, philosophy and argument, and…

A RESEARCH PROJECT LOCATED AT PINE RIDGE RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA, INVESTIGATED CULTURAL DISHARMONY, LACK OF MOTIVE AND APPEALING CURRICULA, AND PRESERVATION OF INTENSITY. STUDY SHOWED THAT DROP-OUTS AMONG SIOUX CHILDREN USUALLY OCCUR BECAUSE OF TROUBLES WITH OTHER INDIANS, NOT BECAUSE OF TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS. PROBLEMS IN SIOUX EDUCATION…

THE HUMOR PREFERENCES OF DICHOTOMIZED GROUPS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (SPECIFICALLY, CONFORMISTS AND NONCONFORMISTS) WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AND TO ESTIMATE THE DEGREE OF RELIABILITY OF RESPONSES TO A HUMOR PREFERENCE INVENTORY. A TOTAL OF 111 MALE SOPHOMORE STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL IDENTIFIED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE HOME ROOM…

A study was conducted in two desegregated high schools in order to test Sherif's theory that intergroup conflict can be eliminated when the groups strive for superordinate goals. The specific question examined in the study was: To what extent do members of an ethnic group enlarge their conception of their own in-group to include members of another…

Sensitivity training is one type of experience-based learning in which participants work together in a small group over an extended period of time learning through analysis of their own experiences. The primary setting is the T Group (T for training) in which a staff member sets up an ambiguous situation which allows participants to choose the…

Two studies were conducted to determine the relationship between the principal's behavior and the teachers' behaviors during faculty meetings. The pilot study (conducted in the Wabash Valley) tested the hypothesis that the more indirect (willingly sharing authority with the teachers, incorporating their ideas) the principal's behavior is, the more…

Marathon groups offer individuals an opportunity to engage in intensified, authentic personal encounter with each other in a small group setting, usually with 10-15 persons in a group. This is a report of tentative findings at the Student Life Center, University of Colorado. There were three matched groups, each with nine sophomores. The first…

The purposes of this study were to identify group characteristics of County Extension Advisory Committees which were related to the effective performance of the committees and to identify the leadership behavior dimensions of County Extension Agent Chairmen which were related to the effective performance of County Extension Advisory Committees.…

This paper describes a study that compared the use of consensual, nominal, and conventional decision-making techniques in established and ad hoc groups. The impact of the structural interventions on group decision quality and group attitudes is examined and the appropriateness of the techniques in various situation is discussed. Findings of the…

Concomitant with a child's acquisition of phonological, syntactic, and semantic rules of an adult language is the need to learn pragmatic and contextual abilities for proper use of the language. As early language acquisition is closely allied with play, three children aged about 22 to 40 months were observed during play activities to determine…

Group effectiveness is determined by many things. It takes long and exacting effort to discover the precise combination that unlocks the door to success. Although many of the forces that shape group behavior may be intangible, involving subtle factors of personality, much of group activity can be analyzed scientifically. In this booklet, the ninth…

This essay explores the group dynamics relating to the events surrounding the Watergate coverup and attempts to identify the factors that predispose of the parties involved to make inappropriate, foolish, and ineffective choices concerning a criminal case in which none of them initially was culpable. The initial Watergate breakin is briefly…

The ultimate goal of a learning group is to help learners achieve their goals and objectives and to help them learn to live in a rapidly changing and evolving society. Within the context of social change, the author examines how internal dynamics can be used to aid a teacher in developing an effective learning group. Drawing from psychology,…