PREFACE

This collection of articles, essays, and research reports is intended

for the student of small group communication and group discussion~

It offers a selection of readings drawn from a wide variety of disci-

plines and publications designed to acquaint the student with the

vast body of small group literature which has been formulated in the

past fifty years. The collection presented here is selective rather than

comprehensive~ It makes available in one place representative articles

from psychology, sociology, philosophy, speech, English, and busi-

ness management which are pertinent to the study of small group

communication. The forty-one readings were chosen after weighing

and considering many factors and many alternatives~ For any one

selection included in this volume, the editors reviewed and excluded

a dozen or more similar essays or experiments~ The editors have

purposely avoided pressing the case for any one particular school of

thought on small group process~ Rather, they have brought together

some of the foundation-stone essays and experimental studies which

have given impetus to the group discussion movement and the devel-

opment of Group Dynamics, some of the theoretical essays which

most all group discussion texts draw from, and some of the contem-

porary techniques and experiments which are reforming our thinking

and teaching about small group processes.

It is our purpose in presenting this collection to provide students

with a conveniently grouped selection of readings that will expose

them to ideas and practices which will be supplemental to the materi-

als found in textbooks in group communication. These essays will

bring greater depth and understanding of the principles of group

communication and a wider variety of techniques and methods avail-

able than can possibly be found in the usual textbook~ We believe

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