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,…

This study examined the effects of cooperative and competitive goal structures on children's evaluations of the learning experience and on children's self-reward. Fourth-graders (n=180) were assigned to learning groups of three children each by a stratified (sex and ability) random sampling procedure. Groups were assigned to either the group…

This talk, presented at a symposium sets forth the concepts which the author believes provide the basis for deciding appropriate behavior in group settings. He also considers the functioning of the counselor in a social context, since traditional concepts of agency policy and the role of the counselor as a change agent now are undergoing rapid…

The governance of Yale University and the relationship of this institution to urban problems in New Haven are discussed within the framework of what the distinctive nature and central mission of a university should be. The first section of the report analyzes the roles of Yale University's faculty members, administrators, and students in its…

This report presents in detail a unicameral government structure with supporting student and faculty caucuses, recommended for the University of New Hampshire by its Committee on Government Organization to (1) provide maximum participation to all members of the university community on a fair and equitable basis, and (2) provide a more efficient…

The thesis of this paper is that the group therapy process is enhanced by the use of two or more therapists in the group. The three main roles in a group are: (1) facilitator, (2) focal member, and (3) observer. The use of an additional therapist affords the opportunity for therapists to assume the focal member role without loss of group control,…

A camping workbook provides materials for use in discussion of 3 important aspects of farm living: rural power, communication, and conservation. It is intended that this material be used in class sessions held during a junior youth camp. A sample of the youth camp schedule reveals 3 forty-five minute time periods during the day designated as class…

A course in personal social dynamics in education was experimentally organized to concentrate on the process of classroom interaction, integrating the affective with the cognitive components of learning. As a senior level course for teachers-in-training it has been offered three times with encouraging results. Goals are to help the student become…

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of a combination of evaluation-feedback procedures in achieving the objectives of a non-residential graduate-level course in sensitivity training. The three-credit course, involving T Groups of 12 students and a trainer, is a required course for all candidates for a master's degree in elementary…

This paper presents a discussion of encounter groups, their place in psychology today, their limitations and values. The purpose of encounter groups is always one of facilitating the growth of the person, and of teaching individuals how to communicate more effectively with each other. Encounter groups are particularly appropriate for the person…

This study evaluated the Philadelphia Affective Education Development Program (AEDP) as it affected student relationships within the classroom and student perceptions of the classroom climate. The differences between four AEDP and four regular English classes from one high school were determined in regard to (1) sociometric structure as analyzed…

This paper reports a study of committee decision processes. Two established university committees, one established departmental committee, and four student ad hoc committees were investigated. Sixteen meetings were videotaped, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. A general systems model was used to conceptualize the decision process and the…

This booklet serves as a basis for an experience-based group guidance workshop for school counselors. By providing activities, practice in methodology, and feedback, the workshop aims at the following objectives: (1) to equip counselors with specific techniques appropriate to group leaders; (2) to encourage counselor creativity in group guidance…

The objective of this study is to provide local law enforcement agencies with guidelines for the collection and dissemination of elements of information required for sound decision making in response to the threat or actual initiation of collective violence. Informal, semi-structured interviews in fourteen selected cities and six State police…