The effects of the "Magic Circle" technique on the affective and cognitive development of fourth grade children

Abstract

The effects of the "Magic Circle" Technique on the affective and cognitive development of fourth grade children was investigated. The subjects from ten public schools in a southwestern Virginia county were divided into two experimental and two control groups. Solomon 4 group was employed with one experimental and one control group receiving both a pre-test and post-test with the remaining experimental and control groups receiving only a post-test.

The experimental groups received the "Magic Circle" sessions three times weekly for a period of eighteen weeks.

Four hypotheses, stated in the null form, were tested at the .05 level of significance.

Ho₁ : There is no difference in personal adjustment scores relating to self-concept for students receiving "Magic Circle" than those not receiving "Magic Circle."

Ho₂ : There is no difference in social adjustment scores relating to self-concept for students receiving "Magic Circle" than those not receiving "Magic Circle."

Ho₃ : There is no difference in self-esteem scores for students receiving "Magic Circle" than those not receiving "Magic Circle."

Ho₄ : There is no difference in the total reading score of students receiving "Magic Circle" and those students not receiving "Magic Circle."

All the traditional comparisons appropriate for Solomon's 4 Group design were made with the SPSS statistical package (subprogram T-test) with both independent and dependent T-tests being performed.

The following is a summary of the major results established from this study:

1. There was a significant interaction effect between testing and treatment of the subjects, indicating that there was no difference in personal adjustment in the way the subjects performed when in the treatment group as opposed to the control group.

2. Treatment was significant at the .01 level in increasing self-esteem for post-tested only subjects receiving "Magic Circle" as opposed to those students in the control group.

3. Treatment was also significant at the .05 level for post-tested only groups on social adjustment for post-tested only subjects receiving "Magic Circle" as opposed to those students in the control group.

There are implications from these findings that "Magic Circle" is an effectively planned procedure by which elementary counselors and teachers can initiate positive changes in the social behavior of kids today.