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In six equivalent discussion sections of an introductory psychology class involved in an experiment in which classrooms were switched in midsemester, classroom participation was related to seating arrangement. In the seminar-style arrangement, it was found that students directly opposite the instructor participated more than students at the sides. In classrooms with straight rows, students in front participated more than students in the rear, and students in the center of each row participated more than students at the sides. These results bear out the expressive contact hypothesis relating direct visual contact to increased interaction.
Robert Sommer (Fri,) studied this question.