The article examines the effects of environmental space and group composition on the psychological and social development of preschool handicapped children. (CL)

The author questions the value of practice teaching, asserting that student teachers occupy a marginal position within the school, having neither the authority nor the knowledge of group rituals needed to legitimatize them in that community. Experiencing such marginality can be stressful and deflating to the self-concept. (SJL)

Examines ways of modifying incremental influence. Results suggest that referent power can be altered by affecting the interpersonal attraction of group members. Implications for organizational intervention and practice are discussed, and some possible modifications to the theoretical framework of power are advanced. (Author)

Examines the range of pressures that affect principals. The author asserts that the essence of effective educational statesmanship in the next decade may well be to adopt procedures that positively affect the total field of forces influencing educational decisions. (Author/IRT)

This study compared personality characteristics of 25 volunteers for a women's assertiveness group with a control group of vocational counselees and the norm group on the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS). Results suggested that women are highly concerned with the approval of others, moderately inhibited in expressing their feelings, but…

Study indicates that clique membership is related to academic performance but not attitude toward school. In the case studied, attitude of clique members was more highly related to achievement and attitude for male students. The need for teachers to promote social integration of socially isolated students is also discussed. (RW)

Tests the hypothesis that cognitive-experiential pretraining is beneficial in promoting openness and honesty among members of a psychotherapy group. The hypothesis is supported. (HMV)

Describes therapeutic factors in group psychotherapy that can also be applied to the camping experience: group cohesion, interpersonal learning, and altruism. Offers strategies and specific activities for counselors and camp directors to incorporate these factors into the camping experience. (LP)

Examines the dynamic common to the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom in which the teacher takes from the student the burden of the next step in solving a problem, identifies four reasons this is inappropriate, looks at why teachers do it, and offers techniques for handling such situations. (MSE)

Discusses concerns and research about college student peer evaluation, particularly with regard to gender bias. Reports a study using blind marking, and examines results in relation to task and other contextual variables. Concludes that the blind marking technique contributes to the reliability of peer assessment, and outlines additional…

Investigates reasons for the success of cooperative learning (CL) from a psychological perspective, focusing on group dynamics and the motivational system generated by peer cooperation. Argues that the affective domain of CL plays a crucial role in the learning process. The paper summarizes the factors contributing to the promotion of learning…

A perception among junior social work faculty at one Midwestern university that writing barriers posed a threat to career development led to creation of a writer's guild, a collaborative, nonhierarchical approach to supporting scholarship. The group addresses personal writing difficulties, publication concerns, information needs, grant writing,…

Explores which racial configurations of black people and white people are most or least satisfactory in small-group interactions. Findings indicate that varying the racial composition of 30 four-person groups affected significantly the reported experiences of group members; both racial and gender differences were observed. Implications for group…

Argues that an examination of expert-novice relationships in unfolding interaction should not proceed from the static and unidirectional view that knowledge and status are distributed as functions of "a priori" categories such as age, gender, and hierarchical rank. Demonstrates that the constitution of expert-novice in dynamic interaction is a…

Face-to-face discussion has been shown to increase cooperation behavior in social dilemmas. Two general explanations of this effect were tested: group identity and perception of consensus. Female undergraduate students (N=160) participated in four-person groups in one of four experimental conditions. Findings indicate the most plausible…