Differences in kata performance time and distance from a marker for experienced Shotokan karateka under normal sighted and blindfolded conditions

10 experienced Shotokan karateka were tested on performance time and distance from a marker on the five Heian kata under normal sighted and blind-folded conditions. Whilst each kata's line of movement is different, it is the intention to start and finish at the same location. Analysis showed that despite an average of 16.8 yr. of training, whilst timing was not significantly affected on four of the kata by subjects being deprived of the visual sense, the group's mean change in distance from an original marker was significant for performances on three of the kata.     

Relationship between years of training and judged performance in Shotokan karate black-belts

The relation between length of training and Dan rank was significant for 110 male black-belts, although the complication of tied ranks was noted.     

Attributions of the "causes" of group performance as an alternative explanation of the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior and organizational performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility that feedback regarding team performance may influence team members' reports of organizational citizenship behaviors. Ninety-five teams of business students (N = 412) participated in a labor-scheduling simulation over a local area network. Teams were provided with false negative, false positive, or neutral feedback regarding their performance. Results support the hypothesis that the perception of 2 forms of organizational citizenship behavior (helping behavior and civic virtue) in work groups may, in part. be a function of the nature of the performance feedback that group members receive. However, negative feedback appears to play a more critical role than positive feedback in this attributional process. Possible reasons for these findings, as well as their implications, are discussed.     

Effects of group contingent events upon classroom noise

The first study investigated a group control procedure for suppression of excessive sound-intensity levels in a regular public school classroom. Reinforcement consisted of a 2-min addition to the class gym period and a 2-min break after maintenance of an unbroken 10-min quiet period as monitored on a decibel meter. Transgressions of the sound limit (42 decibels) resulted in a delay of reinforcement by the resetting of the timer to the full 10-min interval. The results indicated that these procedures were highly effective in suppression and control of sound intensities. The second experiment utilized a similar procedure coupled with a procedure of eliminating out-of-seat behavior. Experiment III studied the effects of Exp. II procedures on a single student's out-of-seat behavior rate. All procedures were found effective.     

Effects of response-produced stimuli upon conditional discrimination performance

In zero-delay matching procedures the performance of three groups of pigeons was examined when exteroceptive stimuli, response-produced stimuli associated with the completion of either of two fixed ratios, or a compound of exteroceptive and response-produced stimuli were available as samples. Exteroceptive samples were found to control a higher level of matching accuracy than response-produced samples, while compound samples controlled a higher level of accuracy than did exteroceptive samples alone. When all subjects were placed on a transfer procedure, during which the previously used red and green samples were replaced by horizontal and vertical lines, the availability of sample-specific fixed-ratios facilitated acquisition of the task.     

The Ringelmann effect: Studies of group size and group performance

Ringelmann's classic finding—that the addition of co-workers in a rope-pulling task leads to a linear decrement in the individual group member's average performance—was reexamined experimentally. Study I attempted to replicate the effect, using groups of subjects ranging in size from 1 to 6. Performance dropped significantly as group size was increased from one individual to two or to three, but the addition of a fourth, fifth, or sixth member produced insignificant additional decrements; thus, the effect was not linear but curvilinear. Study II was designed to examine possible sources of performance loss, separating the factors of “coordination” and “motivation” loss (Steiner, 1972). The possibility of intermember incoordination was eliminated, while motivation loss remained free to vary: Each experimental subject pulled alone, and in “groups” where he believed there were from one to five other members. Once again, individual performance declined significantly with the addition of the first and second perceived co-worker, but then leveled off for perceived group sizes three to six. Some implications are discussed.