The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science

This paper is an attempt to provide an exhausting survey of the work of one of our seminal interpersonal theorists, S. Potter. His writings are analyzed for their relevance to the consultant of today and to the consultant of yesterday. Correlational matrices showed many interesting things, but were deleted as being beyond our readership. Subsequent reports will include an analysis of variance of the variations in paragraph length in the present paper.

An experiment to test an encounter group assumption that touching increases interpersonal attraction was conducted. Twenty-one college women were randomly assigned to a touch or no-touch condition. In the touch condition the subject was paired with an experimental accomplice who joined her in three bogus ESP experiments, the last of which involved mutual touching for 11o seconds. The no-touch condition was identical, save touching. Subjects then evaluated the experimental accomplice on four dimensions. A comparison of total evaluation scores verified the hypothesis: subjects who touched the accomplice perceived her as a more attractive person than those who did not touch her.

By extending Fiedler's conception of leader orientation, it was hypothesized that groups led by trainers oriented toward the group members most liked by their group are more effective-in terms of member satisfaction and achievement of group goals-than groups led by trainers oriented toward least-liked members of their group. This hypothesis was tested by comparing three T Groups whose leaders were oriented toward the "sociometric stars" in their group with three T Groups whose leaders were oriented toward the sociometric isolates. The hypothesis was supported by measures of member satisfaction with the group, achievement of group goals, and perceived group effectiveness in changing members' attitudes and behaviors. The mechanisms presumed to mediate between the leader's orientation and group effectiveness are discussed.

This case study describes the use of OD strategies to introduce psychological curricula in a community college. The author hypothesizes that the success of the intervention was due to the combination of three factors: favorable historical antecedents, the nature of the intervention, and continuous leadership by key administrators before and after the intervention. The interdependence of these three factors is analyzed.

One frontier for research and action focuses on the linkages between an organization and external groups, such as consumers and ecological neighbors. The various communities affected by a firm or a government agency's decisions increasingly expect to be able to influence these decisions.

A second frontier is the organization's internal community, which will be reformed and transformed into a community with a more livable organizational ecology, an extended bill of individual rights, and a new morality.

The third frontier is the development of mechanisms to achieve collaboration among organizations-mechanisms that cross the traditional boundaries of agencies, firms, industries, and levels of government and bridge the private and public sectors.