THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SMALL STUDENT-LED DISCUSSION GROUPS AS A METHOD OF INSTRUCTION. PERFORMED WERE TWO TYPES OF STUDIES INVOLVING OVER 1,400 STUDENTS IN 42 COURSES--(1) COMPARATIVE STUDIES WHICH EMPLOYED CONTROL GROUPS AGAINST MORE TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES, AND (2) INNOVATIVE STUDIES WHICH…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive abstractness levels, interpersonal perception abilities, and task type (factual or social problem solving) on group performance as measured by time consumed and adequacy of solutions. Eighteen college classes from Kearney State College participated in testing of perceptual…

This report is concerned with the problem of what personality combinations are likely to produce the most effective group in learning situations. Chapter II explores 15 selected personality characteristics that were expected to affect behavior (independent variables). Chapter III explores certain aspects of group behavior whose measurement…

This curriculum guide outlines a course in discussion for college sophomores or those who have taken a communication fundamentals course. This guide emphasizes the principles of discussion and group dynamics and their applications to groups engaged in information-sharing or problem-solving tasks. The course is divided into two principal units with…

Communication researchers would like to know if the quality of a speaker's voice is a reliable indicator of an effective communicator and if voice quality can reveal information about the speaker's intelligence, leadership ability, and personality type. Experimental studies involving over 400 undergraduates at the University of Nebraska sought to…

The basic theory that the teacher style required for effective learning in the classroom is contingent on the favorableness of the group situation was tested in a controlled experiment. Eight groups of eighth-grade boys were assigned to two teachers, four groups for each. Two hypotheses were under examination: (1) A task-oriented teacher will be…

This booklet provides an orientation tool and quick reference for camp counselors, and is designed to help them understand and enhance youth behavior and development. Chapter 1 discusses the camp environment, the camp counselor's responsibility as a role model, the benefits of camp for kids, establishing a positive relationship with campers at the…

Describes study in which high school students were confronted with an investment opportunity and had to decide whether to invest in a private good which returned profits to the individual or a public good which returned profits to the group. Results indicate that "free riders" in the public good group do not contribute to the deterioration of the…

This study surveyed ninth- and eleventh-graders' evaluations of social exclusion based on social group membership. Responses indicated that participants found exclusion less wrong than denying resources, and used fewer moral and more conventional reasons to justify judgments. Participants relied on their group knowledge or stereotypes in…

Contends that what a society does publicly to entertain itself reveals shared values. Maintains that public entertainment in Worcester (Massachusetts) prior to the War of 1812 was limited largely to Sundays, court days, and the Fourth of July. Describes changes in entertainment and social values after the War of 1812. (CFR)

Investigated why, contrary to expectations, group performance in a written test of problem solving was not better than individual performance. Examined protocols of students solving problems in groups and concluded that in much of the group discussion, students passed over right ideas in favor of simpler, but erroneous, ideas. (14 references) (MDH)

Two studies involving 135 female and 21 male undergraduates compare effects of masculinity and femininity on rater and ratee evaluations of emergent leader behavior in mixed-sex and same-sex groups. Masculinity is not associated with peer-rated leadership, but femininity is correlated with two measures (self-task and self-relationship) of…

Explores the tensions and interactions among four 13-year-old boys in a British secondary classroom. Suggests that the boys subscribe to a hegemonic ideal of masculinity that celebrates autonomy as the individualized rejection of dependence in relationships in school. Relates this to broader changes in available social texts. (MJP)

When the authors wanted to combat the myth that excessive drinking and partying were common behaviors among students, they turned for help to a recent popular book on marketing and social behavior. The result was a trial project that identified and recruited the most influential students on campus, then set them loose to get the message out.…

Examined role of friendship aspects in moderating behavioral antecedents and outcomes of peer victimization among fourth and fifth graders. Teacher-reported internalizing and externalizing behaviors predicted increases in peer-reported victimization; relation of internalizing behaviors to increases in victimization was attenuated for children with…