Relationship Between Operation Inventory Scores and Overt Small-Group Problem-Solving Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between scores on the Orientation Inventory (Bass, 1962) and overt behavior during a small-group problem-solving activity. Undergraduate volunteers from Prin cipia College were recruited, and five students were assigned to each discus sion group. A videotape of each thirty-minute discussion was made, and a special observation system was developed ¹ to score the students' behavior in ten-second time-sampling intervals into one of five categories: (1) Talking- Task behavior, (2) Talking-Group-Maintenance behavior, (3) Talking-Self- Oriented behavior, (4) Talking-Miscellaneous behavior, and (5) Nonverbal behavior. Scott's π reliability coefficients on a criterion videotape ranged from .72 to .90, with a median of .81. Rank-order correlations and chi-square tests were computed to determine the relationship between scores on the Orientation Inventory and overt behavior during the problem-solving task.

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