Syllabus: Group Dynamics            Psy 457 / 557

      

Spring 2004   10-11:20 Mon/Wed     146 Straub               CRN:34199/34211

 

Professor: Dr. Holly Arrow 

Phone: 346-1996

 

Office: 357 Straub    

Office Hours: Mon 5-6, Wed 4-5

 

E-mail: harrow@uoregon.edu

 

TA: Stephan Dickert

Phone: 346_4937

Office: Straub 309 

Office Hours: Thurs 12-2

E-mail: sdickert@uoregon.edu

 

Blackboard conference: http://blackboard.uoregon.edu

Class notes and supplementary articles will be posted on blackboard.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Course Description &  Requirements

 

This course has three interrelated goals:

            1) acquaint you with theory and research on small groups

            2) improve your skills as participant in & observer of small groups

            3) develop your ability to read and interpret the primary literature

 

To accomplish these goals, the main text and lectures will cover theories and findings on topics that students will also explore through group exercises in class. Two tests will assess learning of the basic concepts and findings. Students will also demonstrate their ability to apply what they are learning by writing two essays analyzing case studies. One recounts the story of a group expedition to Antarctic (intragroup dynamics); the other is a first-person account of ethnic conflict in Bosnia (intergroup dynamics).  Finally, class groups will each focus in depth on a particular topic and read primary articles reporting empirical studies.  Groups will give a short presentation to the class on this topic and turn in a review paper.  An optional final exam will give students who are unhappy with their grades on the tests a chance to improve their scores.

 

NOTE:  Grad students will have different assignments replacing the essays and the review paper. Details are given below.

                                                 

1. Participation                         

Attendance is required. If you can’t attend class faithfully, don’t take this course .

            You will be working in small groups each week, and group members will rate one another's participation at the end of the course. In week 2, students will form permanent groups.  If a group member is chronically absent, does not come prepared, behaves badly, or otherwise gives clear evidence of being untrustworthy, groups may request that the person not be a part of the group project.  Members who feel the rest of their group is not trustworthy may also petition to complete the project individually. Discuss any proposed adjustments to group membership with Holly by May 3rd Changes will be implemented Wed. May 5th.

            At the end of the class, each student will (confidentially) evaluate how well fellow members fulfilled their commitments to the group; these evaluations will largely determine the participation grade.

            1b. Grad students: After moving around to different small groups during the early rotations, you will work together in a separate group.  During some class sessions, you will observe and give feedback to the undergraduate groups.

 

2. Readings

The three required books are S. M. Burn, Groups: Theory and Practice, A. Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton’s incredible voyage, and J. Dervisevic-Cesic, The river runs salt, runs sweet: A memoir of Bosnia.  Strunk & White’s The elements of style (any edition) is strongly recommended as a guide to clear writing.  Supplementary readings (research articles from the primary literature) will be posted on Blackboard.

 

3. Tests

Tests will have an individual and a group portion. They will cover material from the texts, lectures, and supplementary readings.  

            3b. Grad students will complete the whole test individually (no group assistance) and will have some extra questions to cover.

 

4. Individual Essays (undergrads only)

Essays are limited to 250 words each, and must be printed on a single page. To be deemed acceptable, they must fulfill the assignment, be carefully reasoned, clearly written, and grammatically correct (follow S&W guidelines!). Every sentence should contain specific, meaningful information that is clearly related to the assignment, and all opinions should be directly supported with evidence from the readings (cite author, page number). To receive full credit, a typed draft must be submitted and critiqued the class before the final essay is due. 

            4b. Grad students. In place of the two essays, you will give two short presentations (10 minutes) summarizing and critiquing a recent study related to the topics of the week.  This will serve as models for the groups, which will do their own presentations in week 10.

                                                                               

5. Group Project: Literature Review and Study Presentation.

Groups will turn in a written paper and will also give a 10 minute presentation in Week 10.

            The group will pick a focused topic to investigate (a list of suggestions will be provide), develop a bibliography, construct an overview table that identifies basic information for each study covered, and write a review essay that identifies (1) similarities and differences in theories and methodology among the studies included, (2) convergent and divergent findings across the studies, and (3) two important questions that have not been satisfactorily answered in the studies. The review essay should be 3 pages long (plus 1 page for the overview table).  The rest of the paper will consist of specific commentary on each article (1 page each), plus a bibliography in APA style. Each individual group member will be responsible for commentary on two articles.  Grades will be based both on individual and group portions of the paper, and may be adjusted based on confidential member reports of one another’s contributions.

            **To be eligible for full credit, all interim assignments must be completed on time**

            5b. Grad students will complete a case study or research proposal instead of the group project.  Case study option: Write a case study based on your observations of a small group (size 3-25) and/or interviews with its members (Note: this should not be one of the class groups.) Be sure to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the group and analyze what you see as the contributing factors to these strengths and weaknesses.  Consider composition, structure, task, context, and group development. Make one specific recommendation for improving the functioning of the group. The paper should have 4 sections: Intro, description, analysis, and recommendation.

            Research proposal: Write a research proposal for a study of small groups.  Assume you have unlimited resources.  Follow APA style (only section missing will be results). Summarize theory relevant to your topic, identify the research question(s) and/or hypotheses, describe your research design, and in the discussion section, consider how you would interpret results that are contrary to your hypotheses. Include an abstract.

            Either option: Limit 8 pages double-spaced, including title page.

                   

Grading                         

 

Elements

Points

          

Course grades  based on percentage of total points earned

Participation

(group exercises & evals)

 10

A  

93-100

C 

73-76.9

A- 

90-92.9

C-

70-72.9

Undergrads: Essays (2)

[Grads: Presentation]

 20

B+ 

87-89.9

D+

67-69.9

B  

83-86.9

D 

63-66.9

Tests (2)

 40

B- 

80-82.9

D-

60-62.9

Group [or grad] project

 30

C+ 

77-79.9

N 

< 70

TOTAL points

100

 

 

P 

$ 70

           

Special Needs:                     

 

Learning disabilities & athletes.  If you have a documented learning disability and need adjustments, or are on a UO sports team and will miss class because of travel, contact Dr. Arrow ASAP.  With advance planning, adjustments are relatively easy.  Adjustments at the last minute are problematic and sometimes not plausible.

 

Late and Missed Work:

 

Late Penalties: Three-point penalty for late essays, unless you have prior approval for an extension based on some catastrophic life event. Two-point penalty if typed essay draft not completed on time.

Tests: If you miss a test, you should take the optional final exam as the make-up.

Group Project: Up to 5 points will be deducted from the group project grade if the group does not turn in all interim assignments when due.

 

Academic Dishonesty:

All work submitted in this course must be your own (or your group’s) and produced exclusively for this course. The use of sources must be properly acknowledged and documented. Academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade in the course and will also be referred to the Student Conduct Committee.

            Collaborating with group members is NOT permitted on the individual portions of tests or on the final exam.  Students must generate their first essay drafts on their own; they are encouraged to make use of feedback and suggestions from group members in their revisions.  If you have any confusion about what constitutes academic dishonesty, see http://www.uoregon.edu/~conduct/sai.htm

       

Readings and Assignments                                                  

 

Week One

Topic /  Focus

Reading

Other Events

Mon Mar 29

Intro & Methods

Burn 1 & 2

First temporary group; Self-Assess

Wed Mar 31

Second temporary group

Week Two

 

 

 

Mon April 5

Group Structure

Burn 3 & 4

Form permanent groups

Wed April 7

Practice Test (desensitization)

Week Three

 

 

 

Mon April 12

Process & Change

Burn 5 & 6

 

Wed April 14

Turn in topic for Group Project

Week Four

 

 

 

Mon April 19

Crisis & Survival

 Lansing

Test #1

Wed April 21

Essay A (first draft, typed)

Week Five

 

 

 

Mon April 26

Group Challenges

Burn 7 & 8

 

Essay A (final, 2 copies, 1 p. max)

Wed April 28

Bibliography; Week 5 Assess

Week Six

 

 

 

Mon May 3

Leaders & Goals

 

Burn 9 & 10

 

Wed May 5

One article commentary per group

Week Seven

 

 

 

Mon May 10

Decisions & Teams

Burn 11 & 12

 

 

Wed May 12

Summary Table for Group Project

Week Eight

 

 

 

Mon May 17

Crisis & Conflict

Dervisevic-Cesic

 

 

Wed May 19

Test #2

Week Nine

 

 

 

Mon May 24

Inter-Group Issues

Supplementary Readings

Essay B (first draft, typed)

Wed May 26

Essay B (final, 2 copies, 1 p. max)

Week Ten

 

 

 

Mon May 31

Group Projects

 

Presentations; Wk 10 Self-Assess

Wed June 2

Presentations; Class & Mem Evals

Final Projects due by:  Noon Mon June 7

Optional Final: 10:15-12:15 Fri June 11 (& pick up projects)

Name: _______________________    Group Name: ____________________ Code: ______

 

Rate Your Group Skills (+3=very strong  0=okay  -3= very weak)                              Wk 1    Wk 10

 

1.         Communicate ideas effectively (self-expression)                                                       ___            ___

2.         Listen to and understand others (empathy, perspective taking)                                    ___            ___

3.         Help others understand themselves with constructive feedback (guide)                     ___            ___

4.         Seek feedback from others  to know yourself better (personal growth)                      ___            ___

5.         Establish rapport with others (make connections)                                                       ___            ___

6.         Monitor and manage your own emotions (self-management)                           ___            ___

7.         Organize people to achieve tasks (task leader)                                                           ___            ___

8.         Identify and fill needed roles in the group (social flexibility)                         ___            ___

9.         Promote group morale and cohesion (socio-emotional leader)                                   ___            ___

10.       Resolve conflicts and negotiate agreements (mediator)                                              ___            ___

11.       Analyze structural causes of group dynamics (social analysis)                                   ___            ___

           

Your own goals for this class:

 

1. ________________________        3.  ________________________

2. ________________________        4.  ________________________

 

 

Week 5 peer assessment of progress on these goals within your class group 

 

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Week 5 self-assessment of progress in developing and practicing group skills

 

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Week 10 self-assessment of progress in developing and practicing group skills

 

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