Group Behavior

Accessible summary•We are people with and without learning disabilities doing research together.•In this paper we talk about the good bits and the bad bits of doing research together.•We are people with and without learning disabilities doing research together.•In this paper we talk about the good bits and the bad bits of doing research together.We are people with and without learning disabilities doing research together.In this paper we talk about the good bits and the bad bits of doing research together.SummaryIn our paper we talk about what it is like to be a group of people with and without learning disabilities researching together. We describe the process of starting and maintaining the research group and reflect on the obstacles that we have come across, and the rewards such research has brought us. Lastly we put forward some ideas about the role of professionals in such a group that we hope people might find useful.In our paper we talk about what it is like to be a group of people with and without learning disabilities researching together. We describe the process of starting and maintaining the research group and reflect on the obstacles that we have come across, and the rewards such research has brought us. Lastly we put forward some ideas about the role of professionals in such a group that we hope people might find useful.

There are two common types of solution methods for solving simple integrals: using integration constants or using limits of integration. We use the resources framework to model student solution methods. Preliminary results indicate both problematic and meaningful intersections of physical meaning and mathematical formalism when solving linked integrals.

To determine the behavioral and developmental effects of preventing iron-deficiency anemia in infancy. Healthy full-term Chilean infants who were free of iron-deficiency anemia at 6 months were assigned to high- or low-iron groups or to high- or no-added-iron groups. Behavioral/developmental outcomes at 12 months of age included overall mental and motor test scores and specific measures of motor functioning, cognitive processing, and behavior. There were no differences between high- and low-iron groups in the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia or behavioral/developmental outcome, and they were combined to form an iron-supplemented group (n = 1123) for comparison with the no-added-iron group (n = 534). At 12 months, iron-deficiency anemia was present in 3.1% and 22.6% of the supplemented and unsupplemented groups, respectively. The groups differed in specific behavioral/developmental outcomes but not on global test scores. Infants who did not receive supplemental iron processed inf...

An important part of the process that enables us to improve ourselves as musicians in group music making involves developing an awareness of our personal attributes as they are displayed in the rehearsal. In order to help students become more aware of themselves and of their band members’ personal attributes as they rehearse, a peer assessment system was established. The project was piloted and developed at Barnsley College and University of Huddersfield (Barnsley Campus) with first year undergraduates on the BA Popular Music course across 2000–2008. Individuals agreed to allow their bands to identify particular personal attributes for each member that, they felt, could be improved and used as peer assessment criteria. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 students over a 4-year period and the following areas emerged as a focus of these: self-knowledge, feedback, confidence, honesty. The study has implications for devising peer assessment systems that are responsive to individual learners and their unique needs. It also suggests the desirability of providing peer assessment activities that might foster trust among participants and, if so, supports the provision of exceptional feedback. Now in its ninth year, this system has been refined into a model.


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Is proportion as important as group size when exploring conformity in small groups? Two tests of Boyd and Richerson’s (1985) conformist transmission model were undertaken.
In experiment one, 378 individuals were observed in a computer laboratory. A rare behaviour was modelled by a number of naive models. As each individual entered the laboratory the proportion of models of the behaviour and the behaviour of the newcomer was recorded. In experiment two, 476 participants in psychology experiments took part (unknowingly) in an additional experiment where both proportion and group size were manipulated. Logistic
regression indicated that the proportion of models, but not group size, was a significant predictor of conformity in both experiments. The findings are discussed in terms of their
contribution to an evolutionary theory of human cooperative behaviour.

Qualitative research provides opportunities to study bullying and peer harassment as social processes, interactions and meaning-making in the everyday context of particular settings. It offers the possibility of developing a deep understanding of the culture and group processes of bullying and the participants’ perspectives on peer harassment as well. It gives participants opportunities to discuss their own understanding and experiences of bullying in their own words. This article reviews qualitative studies on bullying or peer harassment in school (including some studies in which qualitative and quantitative methods — so-called mixed methods — have been used).

“As we know, well-led groups provide many member benefits: feelings of universality, a sense of hope, altruism, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and mutual support...This text is affordable, easy to use, and very suitable for providing group work material in BSW or MSW practice courses.”

— Greg Tully, West Chester University



AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO GROUP WORK
Second Edition

Rich Furman, University of Washington, Tacoma
Kimberly Bender, University of Denver
Diana Rowan, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

An Experiential Approach to Group Work is not your typical group work text! Using dozens of exercises that build practice-tested skills, the authors' approach is in perfect step with CSWE's competence-based education requirements. The book is organized into three sections—the first addresses stages of group practice, the second looks at major types of groups, and the final section looks at examples of group work practice with special populations.

Features of the Second Edition

    Expanded! Discussion of the theory of group process and dynamics
    New! Content regarding Canadian, British, and Australian group work practices
    New! Chapters on anti-oppressive practice, group work with immigrants, and macro-practice group work
    New! Content on the use and development of technology to aid group work
    Contains customized exercises for each group work topic, designed to build the student and practitioner’s skills for use in group work sessions
    Special emphasis on how to bring individual sessions or groups to closure
    Provides examples of group work in specialized settings: conflict resolution groups within elementary schools, pregnant teens, Latinos, and HIV/AIDS clients

There exists a wealth of research examining the effects of democratic and autocratic leadership on group productivity and member satisfaction: however, past reviews of this literature have not systematically integrated the results of available quantitative studies. This essay use a meta-analysis to provide such an integration. Analysis reveals no correlation between democratic/autocratic leadership style and productivity, except when taking into consideration the influence of study setting and task complexity. Results also suggest that democratic leadership has a moderate positive correlation with member satisfaction, but this relationship may be moderated by task complexity. The conclusion discusses the limits of experimentally manipulating democratic leadership and the need for conceptual refinement.

The aim of this study was to investigate how individuals;who had been victims of school bullying;perceived their bullying experiences and how these had affected them;and to generate a grounded theory of being a victim of bullying at school. Twenty-one individuals;who all had prior experiences of being bullied in school for more than one year;were interviewed. Qualitative analysis of data was performed by methods from grounded theory. The research identified a basic process of victimising in school bullying;which consisted of four phases: (a) initial attacks;(b) double victimising;(c) bullying exit and (d) after-effects of bullying. Double victimising refers to a process in which there was an interplay between external victimising and internal victimising. Acts of harassment were repeatedly directed at the victims from their social environment at school – a social process that constructed and repeatedly confirmed their victim role in the class or the group. This external victimising affected the victims and initiated an internal victimising;which meant that they internalised the socially constructed victim-image and acted upon this image;which in turn often supported the bullies’ agenda and confirmed the socially constructed victim-image. The findings also indicate the possible positive effect of changing the social environment.

The aim of this study was to investigate how individuals;who had been victims of school bullying;perceived their bullying experiences and how these had affected them;and to generate a grounded theory of being a victim of bullying at school. Twenty-one individuals;who all had prior experiences of being bullied in school for more than one year;were interviewed. Qualitative analysis of data was performed by methods from grounded theory. The research identified a basic process of victimising in school bullying;which consisted of four phases: (a) initial attacks;(b) double victimising;(c) bullying exit and (d) after-effects of bullying. Double victimising refers to a process in which there was an interplay between external victimising and internal victimising. Acts of harassment were repeatedly directed at the victims from their social environment at school – a social process that constructed and repeatedly confirmed their victim role in the class or the group. This external victimising affected the victims and initiated an internal victimising;which meant that they internalised the socially constructed victim-image and acted upon this image;which in turn often supported the bullies’ agenda and confirmed the socially constructed victim-image. The findings also indicate the possible positive effect of changing the social environment.

Pile Spacing Effects on Lateral Pile Group Behavior: Analysis. [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 132, 1272 (2006)]. Kyle M. Rollins, Kimball G. Olsen, Derek H. Jensen, Brian H. Garrett, Ryan J. Olsen, Jeffery J. Egbert. Abstract. ...

Previous research on conflict emanates from a variety of theoretical perspectives and yields inconsistent conclusions. The purpose of this study was to describe the nature of conflict and communication by answering the following question: How does conflict function in the process of achieving group consensus? Transcriptions of classroom groups were subjected to a Markov statistical analysis. The results of the study indicated that phases of conflict are present throughout group interaction. Three phases were discovered and designated as interpersonal conflict, confrontation, and substantive conflict. During the interpersonal conflict phase, conflict is indirect and probably stems from individual differences. While conflict is direct and most abundant during the confrontation phase, it functions positively (i.e., generates interpretation) and facilitates decision making during the substantive conflict phase. Results from this analysis suggest numerous implications concerning the nature of conflict and communication.

This a Learning Journal written as part of Assignment for Group Facilitation Skills Module. A reflection of what was happening for me during 10 minute Group Discussion on the chosen topic - attitudes to Religious Education in schools in Ireland.

This is the first of two parts that examine the issue of group development and its impact on the study design of group support systems (GSS). We review the various models of group development, analyze the sources of differences among these models, and synthesize common themes across various models. The paper concludes with a meta-framework for understanding group development; this framework highlights the two areas of focus that have dominated group development research in the past: group processes and outcomes. ...