The purpose of the study was to establish a list of acceptable terminal behavioral objectives for the nonmajor general biology laboratory as perceived by each instructor in every institution for higher education in the state of Missouri who is responsible for planning, organizing, operating, and evaluating that course. It was further the purpose of this study to determine whether or not any relationship exists between each of several characteristics of the instructor and his institution and his perception of the function of the laboratory. A questionnaire was administered and responded to by 50 percent (representing 64 percent of all the institutions of higher education in Missouri offering a nonmajor general biology course) who teach a nonmajor college level course. The data indicate that 29 behavioral objectives were identified that would be acceptable to a majority of the instructors with widely varying backgrounds and characteristics. Some of the characteristics of the instructors, their education, and their institution relating to the acceptance or rejection of the behavioral objectives related directly to the type of institution, number of students enrolled in a general biology course, and the presence or absence of a graduate program in biology. Two other significant characteristics of the instructor concerned his age and the number of years of previous high school teaching experience. (Author/BR)