THIS DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY HAD AS ITS BASIC OBJECTIVES TO GATHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE "GREAT DECISIONS" PROGRAM WITHIN AND ACROSS COMMUNITIES AND TO DEVELOP INSTRUMENTS FOR FURTHER STUDY OF THE PROGRAM. "GREAT DECISIONS," SPONSORED BY THE FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION (FPA), IS AN 8-WEEK, ADULT STUDY-DISCUSSION PROGRAM IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS. BACKGROUND INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED FROM TWO PRINCIPAL SOURCES. APPROXIMATELY 40 PARTICIPANTS IN DENVER, COLORADO, WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR "GREAT DECISIONS" EXPERIENCES. IN ADDITION, QUESTIONNAIRES, WHICH FPA DESIGNED AND INCLUDED AMONG THE 1965 PROGRAM MATERIALS AND WHICH WERE RETURNED BY OVER 500 PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WERE OBTAINED AND ANALYZED. QUESTIONNAIRES OF THE PROGRAM WERE TRIED OUT EITHER ON THE INTERVIEW RESPONDENTS, ON THREE GREAT DECISIONS GROUPS CONVENED ESPECIALLY FOR THE STUDY, OR ON BOTH. THE INSTRUMENTS WERE REFINED ON THE BASIS OF THESE TRYOUTS. AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT RESULTS WAS DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF THREE PROMINENT THEMES--(1) REWARDS OF "GREAT DECISIONS" PARTICIPATION, (2) "GREAT DECISIONS" AS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM VERSUS ACTION PROGRAM, AND (3) LIMITS ON "GREAT DECISIONS" PARTICIPATION. (JH)