Cooperative learning and classroom climate

The impact of two cooperative learning techniques, Student Teams-Achievement Divisions and Teams-Games-Tournaments, on classroom climate among students was compared to a traditional whole-class format. Thirty-five student teachers were randomly assigned to one of the three classroom structures. Their pupils were 864 second-through sixth-grade students, including 288 non-Anglo (black and Mexican American) students. A new measure of classroom climate, the Classroom Attitudes Scale, was developed that produced two attitude factors: Social Relations and School-work Cooperative techniques generally produced a slightly more favorable climate on both dimensions, and especially for females on Social Relations. Of the cooperative methods, Teams-Games-Tournament produced a significantly more favorable climate for Anglo-American students. The results support the conclusion that choice of classroom structure can bias classroom climate in favor of or against different ethnic groups.     

Functionalism,the Brain,and Personal Identity

Philosophical Studies -     

Counterfactual intensity

Counterfactual intensity, the strength with which counterfactuals are experienced, influenced the magnitude of affective and preparative reactions. Intensity influenced reactions when counterfactual numbers were held constant for samples of participants' actual experiences (Study 1) and contributed significantly to responses over counterfactual numbers (Study 2) and reaction times (Study 3) after performing laboratory tasks. This was found when participants spontaneously generated counterfactuals (Study 2), and when participants responded to counterfactual statements (Study 3). As upward counterfactuals became intense, so did greater preparation and worse moods; as downward counterfactuals became intense, so did better moods and lesser preparation. Intense moods also conversely influenced the intensity of counterfactuals (Study 3). Conceptual and methodological implications and possibilities for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.