The Impact of Perceived Risk From Challenge Courses on Group Cohesion

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of perceived risk from high elements in a challenge course on group cohesion. Participants who have not participated in a challenge course will be selected from a First Year Experience cohort at a California State University (n=100). Six randomly selected teams of 12 to 17 people will participate in three and a half hour challenge course programs. Half of the groups completed only low elements, while the other half completed a combination of low and high elements. A pre, mid, and post test of the Group Cohesion Evaluation Questionnaire was administered. A One-way ANOVA between groups was performed to find statistical differences. It is hypothesized that participants will feel an increase in group cohesion as a result of perceived risk from high elements as opposed to those who participate in low elements only and do not feel perceived risk.

Outdoor education camp and group cohesion: an investigation in the teacher education institute of Malaysia

“…The importance of knowledge and experience sharing in the process of learning has been acknowledged by world renown theorists such as Lewin, Dewey and Piaget [12]. The engagement of experiential sharing process among participants will allow them to create relationships and practice a new identity in a safe and supportive environment [13].…”