The Killer Group

This article is built around a series of incidents in a negotiation course. Starting in an experiential exercise, in which they adopted a predatory role, one group of students took on, maintained, and appeared to relish the label of "killer group." Their behavior generated a high level of energy within the class but also produced disquieting feelings for everyone involved. This example is used to raise several fundamental questions about experiential exercises and the responsibilities and risks that instructors assume in using them.