Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
The impact of size of cooperative group on achievement, social support, and self-esteem
Andrea Bertucci1, Stella Conte, David W Johnson
1University of Cagliari.
Abstract:
The effect of cooperative learning in pairs and groups of 4 and in individualistic learning were compared on achievement, social support, and self-esteem. Sixty-two Italian 7th-grade students with no previous experience with cooperative learning were assigned to conditions on a stratified random basis controlling for ability, gender, and self-esteem. Students participated in 1 instructional unit for 90 min for 6 instructional days during a period of about 6 weeks. The results indicate that cooperative learning in pairs and 4s promoted higher achievement and greater academic support from peers than did individualistic learning. Students working in pairs developed a higher level of social self-esteem than did students learning in the other conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Impact of Groups on Individuals
Impact of Groups on Groups
Social Loafing
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Impact of Individuals on a Group
Self-Help Support Groups
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
