Showing papers in "Small Group Research in 1994"
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey study involving 1,357 students attending a multi-cultural high school explored how the features identified by the contact hypothesis reduce intergroup bias, in part because they alter cognitive representations of the student body from different groups to a more inclusive ingroup.
Abstract: This survey study involving 1,357 students attending a multi-cultural high school explored how thefeatures identified by the contact hypothesis reduce intergroup bias. Specifically, the study examined predictions derived from the common ingroup identity model that equal status, cooperative interdependence, interaction and egalitarian norms reduce bias, in part, because they alter cognitive representations of the student body from different groups to a more inclusive ingroup. The survey measured students'impressions of thefeatures of contact at school, their representations of the student body (e.g., as one group or different groups), and bias in their affective reactions and overall attitudinal favorability toward groups at school. In general, reductions in bias were predicted by stronger common ingroup representations, weaker representations of two groups, and ethnic/racial identities that included a superordinate American identity. Furthermore, as predicted, cognitive representations (e.g., as one group...
400 citations
TL;DR: This article found that outgroups were less persuasive than ingroups when group memberships were made salient by having subjects commit themselves to groups, which is consistent with self-categorization theory.
Abstract: Previous theories of both social influence and persuasion have maintained a dichotomy between influence which is seen as thoughtful, grounded in objective reality and is longlasting, and influence which is impressionistically based and involves more superficial processing. Many theorists have suggested that groups are influential by means of the latter form of influence. Itfollowsfrom such a perspective that differences in the persuasive power of ingroups and outgroups should be mediated by peripheral cues rather than the persuasive nature of the message. In two experiments (Ns = 129 and 90) it was found that outgroups were less persuasive than ingroups when group memberships were made salient by having subjects commit themselves to groups. This is inconsistent with the traditional view but consistent with self-categorization theory. There was also evidence of more accurate recall by subjects in the salient ingroup condition. These effects are evidence against the view that group-based processing involves peripheral processing of the message.
188 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the results of a meta-analytic integration of the effects of group cohesiveness on quality of decision-making in groups and conclude that there is no significant effect of cohesivenes.
Abstract: This article reports the results of a meta-analytic integration of the effects of group cohesiveness on quality of decision making in groups. Overall, there was no significant effect of cohesivenes...
170 citations
TL;DR: The types of roles played by members of small groups have been described from a number of different perspectives as mentioned in this paper, and most of the research has been based on laboratory or therapy-like groups in their "t...
Abstract: The types of roles played by members of small groups have been describedfrom a number of different perspectives. Most of the research has been based on laboratory or therapy-like groups in their "t...
120 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a dyadic and small group paradigm was proposed for the study of social cognition, where the naturally occurring interdependence in the subjects' responses was preserved and studied as an important set of phenomena in their own right.
Abstract: Following Kuhn, it is proposed that there are two major paradigms for the study of social cognition. The first and most traditional paradigm relies on single-subject designs, and is therefore limited to the study of subjective phenomena. It prescribes that subjects 'responses be kept independent, and treats any interdependence in these responses as a statistical nuisance. In contrast, the second paradigm relies on dyadic and small group designs and addresses both subjective and intersubjective phenomena It prescribes that the naturally occurring interdependence in the subjects' responses be preserved and studied as an important set of phenomena in their own right. This second, intersubjective paradigm may be especially conducive to the integration of research on social cognition with research on social interaction and group dynamics.
119 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study was conducted to determine whether measures of cohesion secured during the early stages of group development could be used to predict subsequent drop-out behavior in university fitness classes.
Abstract: Membership in cohesive groups has a powerful influence on individual behaviors such as adherence and conformity. Although the psychological andphysiological benefits of exercise have been well documented, individual adherence has proven to be problematic. Given that exercise classes are minimal groups at best, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether measures of cohesion secured during the early stages of group development could be used to predictsubsequent drop-out behavior In Study 1, participants in universityfitness classes were administered the Group Environment Questionnaire after the third week of a 13-week session. Adherence behavior, as measured by absenteeism, was monitored for 4 weeks and used to form two extreme groups-regular attenders and drop-outs. The regular attenders (n = 20) were those individuals who attended at least 66% of the monitored classes; drop-outs (n = 17) were those individuals who were absent for all classes in the monitored period. Discriminant function an...
107 citations
TL;DR: Researchers who investigate group phenomena can choose either the group as a whole or individuals within groups as a basis for formulating research questions, developing datagathering strategies, a... as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Researchers who investigate group phenomena can choose either the group as a whole or individuals within groups as a basis for formulating research questions, developing datagathering strategies, a...
105 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a model of group development is presented suggesting that development occurs through the cyclical stages of Discontent, Precipitating Incident, Identification, Group Productivity, Individuation, and Decay.
Abstract: Much of the research on group behavior, especially that involving social cognition, has been conducted outside the group setting and devoid of social interaction. Some of the reasons for this include the view that group factors (especially developmentalfactors) are unimportant, the difficulty of conducting group-based research, and the lack of compatible group theories to guide the research. This is an unfortunate oversight because the practice fails to include many group variables that are important to the behaviors under study, and the research fails to contribute to our understanding of group dynamics. One of the variables overlooked when research is removedfrom the group setting is influence of group development. A model of group development is presented suggesting that development occurs through the cyclical stages of Discontent, Precipitating Incident, Identification, Group Productivity, Individuation, and Decay. The model offers specific hypotheses abouta host of social behaviors and cognitions. So...
96 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors measured the idea generation performance of groups offour and eight members in both proximate and distributed conditions using the same synchronous computer-mediated communica cation.
Abstract: An experimental study measured the idea generation performance of groups offour and eight members in both proximate and distributed conditions using the same synchronous computer-mediated communica...
93 citations
TL;DR: The authors advocates the need to balance group research by rejecting the dominant paradigm that drives research-positivism, and adopting an alternative paradigm-the naturalistic paradigm, which can infuse group research with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency.
Abstract: This article advocates the need to balance group research by rejecting the dominant paradigm that drives research-positivism--and adopting an alternative paradigm-the naturalistic paradigm. After critiquing positivistic group research, the philosophical assumptions and methodological practices of the naturalistic paradigm as they apply to small group research-the research setting, type of natural group, research foci, methodological procedures, and researchers' relationship with members of natural groups-are described. The author 's research program on creating and sustaining community in an AIDS residential facility is used to illustrate the conduct of naturalistic group research and the rich insights that can be obtained about group process. The article concludes that the naturalistic paradigm and its practices potentially can infuse group research with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency.
84 citations
TL;DR: This paper investigated the effects of an intervention that differentially targeted and trained three sets of group communication and decision-making skills aimed at addressing disorganization, misunderstandings, and problem-solving difficulties.
Abstract: The use of interdisciplinary teams to address human service delivery issues is becoming increasingly common. Complicated problems require the expertise of a variety of specialists from different disciplines, and increased specialization brings with it a heightened needfor interdisciplinary collaboration. While team meetings are expected to serve as the vehicle for successful collaboration among professionals, three barriers often stand in the way of effective team interactions: disorganization, misunderstandings, and problem-solving difficulties. These problems suggest a need for interventions aimed at improving team communication and decision-making processes, as well as a need for methods to observe and evaluate the effects of such interventions on a team's functioning. The purpose of this research was twofold: First, we sought to investigate the effects of an intervention that differentially targeted and trained three sets of group communication and decision-making skills aimed at addressing the three ...
TL;DR: There exists a wealth of research examining the effects of democratic and autocratic leadership on group productivity and member satisfaction as discussed by the authors, however, past reviews of this literature have not syst...
Abstract: There exists a wealth of research examining the effects of democratic and autocratic leadership on group productivity and member satisfaction; however, past reviews of this literature have not syst...
TL;DR: The authors examined the effects of the fit of task demands for numeric, visual, and conceptual language with the ability of different communication channels to transfer the demands across different channels in group support systems.
Abstract: This study of group support systems examined the effects of the fit of task demands for numeric, visual, and conceptual language with the ability of different communication channels to transfer the...
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of group support systems (GSS) structural features on antecedent and procedural conditions predisposing groupthink are examined. But, the authors focus on the use of GSS in the development of productive meeting processes that can prevent groupthink.
Abstract: Groupthink is a problem thatplagues decision-making groups. This article reviews antecedent and procedural conditions leading to groupthink and examines productive meeting processes that can prevent groupthink. The article then explores the possible role that group support systems (GSS) may play in the development of these productive meeting processes. Group support systems are an advanced information technology that provide electronic support to groups involved in teamwork. This technology possesses certain inherent resources or structuralfeatures. This article proposes aframeworkfor the study of the effects of GSS on groupthink. It examines the effects of GSS structuralfeatures on antecedent and procedural conditions predisposing groupthink. Existing GSS research relevant to groupthink-related variables is reviewed. The review of GSS structural features and of existing GSS research indicates that GSS use might indeed be an appropriate method of preventing groupthink. Finally, the article proposes a meth...
TL;DR: In this article, central principles underlying chaos theory are described and the mathematics of chaos are applied to interaction from a short-ternm psychotherapy group, and differences in the pattern of complexity inherent in interactions of group members were found in the individual sessions when compared to the group as a whole.
Abstract: Research on group therapy typically defines one dimension of the therapeutic process (i.e., cohesion, feedback, self-disclosure) in space or evolving through time. As a result, little is learned regarding the interconnectedness, relatedness, or interaction of these important dimensions of what is occurring within the group. In recent years, the articulation of chaos theory-the science of process rather than of state-has unfolded andfound application in the behavioral sciences. In this article, central principles underlying chaos theory are described and the mathematics of chaos are applied to interaction from a short-ternm psychotherapy group. Differences in the pattern of complexity inherent in interactions of group members werefound in the individual sessions when compared to the group as a whole.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of different levels of observational dependency on Type I error rates for ANOVA and introduces an alternative statistical procedure to address the problem, namely bootstrapping.
Abstract: Small group investigators have been plagued by the problem of observational dependency. This problem exists when data collected from members of the same group are more similar to each other than they are to data collected from another small group receiving identical treatment. Observational dependency can result in inflated Type I error rates. This study demonstrates the effect of different levels of observational dependency on Type I error rates for ANOVA and introduces an alternative statistical procedure to address the problem. Bootstrapping is shown to be superior to ANOVA in minimizing the effect of Type I error rates due to observational dependency.
TL;DR: Functional theory is theory in which the central core includes a description of attributes that lead to good consequences for, and/or that satisfy agoal of, a system or the system's designer or user.
Abstract: Functional theory is theory in which the central core includes a description of attributes that lead to good consequencesfor, and/or that satisfy agoal of, a system or the system's designer or user. The application of functional theory to small group discussion requires the theorist to make two types of theoretical commitments. First, functional theories should include scientific functional explanations. Second, finctional theories should include a description of necessary discussionfunctions on one and only one level of abstraction. Three well-known functional approaches to group discussion, those of Benne and Sheats, Bales, and Hirokawa, are described, and the two commitment requirements are applied to these approaches. All three approaches are shown to contain incomplete explanations and to describe functions on different levels of abstraction.
TL;DR: In this article, group members' estimation of their contributions to a collective endeavor were investigated by assessing perceptions of responsibility following completion of an additive group task, and the results showed that the majority of the contributors were satisfied with their contributions.
Abstract: Group members'estimations oftheircontributions to a collective endeavorwere investigated by assessing perceptions of responsibility following completion of an additive group task. As an information...
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual framework for analyzing interdependent behavioral and person perception processes in social interaction is proposed, where the distribution of cognitive resources, in terms of attention and cognitive effort, determines the effectiveness of interactive behavior and the nature of impressions formed about apartner.
Abstract: This article proposes a conceptualframeworkfor analyzing interdependent behavioral and person perception processes in social interaction. First, the separate theoretical approaches to nonverbal exchange (the behavioral side) and to person perception (the social cognition side) of interaction are briefly reviewed Next, the relationship between the behavioral and person perception processes are outlined in an integrative theoreticalframework. Within this framework, the distribution of cognitive resources, in terms of attention and cognitive effort, determines the effectiveness of interactive behavior and the nature of impressions formed about apartner Finally, an example of a researchparadigmfor studying the behavior-person perception interface is described and preliminary results reported.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a model that links cognitive motivation to the assessment of alternatives, decision quality, and group satisfaction in Ventana Corporation's GroupSystems environment, and found that higher quality decisions result from greater member input concerning the value of alternative choices.
Abstract: The proposed model links cognitive motivation to the assessment of alternatives, decision quality, and group satisfaction in Ventana Corporation's GroupSystemsm environment. The proposed model hypothesized a direct link between cognitive motivation, as operationalized by Petty and Cacioppo's (1986) Need for Cognition (NFC) construct, and assessment of alternatives. This link was confirmed. Group assessment of alternatives was hypothesized to have a direct effect upon the quality of decision and satisfaction with group process. These links were confirmed. The hypothesized link between quality of decision and satisfaction with group process was, however, not supported. The finding that higher quality decisions result from greater member input concerning the value of alternative choices bolsters the importance of establishing a comprehensive survey of the options. Group composition issues are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors examined cognitive representations of ingroups and outgroups of varying relative group size in the context of the category verification paradigm, where subjects have to decide the category membership for prototypic and non-prototypic exemplars of (ingroup and outgroup) social categories.
Abstract: Two studies examined cognitive representations of ingroups and outgroups of varying relative group size. These cognitive representations were examined in the context of the category verification paradigm, wherein subjects have to decide the category membership for prototypic and nonprototypic exemplars of (ingroup and outgroup) social categories. The results of both studies confirm the prediction that the smaller group is subject to greater prototype cognitive representation, whereas the larger group is subject to greater exemplar cognitive representation. Discussion considers the implications of these results for some paradoxes of intergroup behavior, andfor stereotyping in general.
TL;DR: The functional perspective represents one of three dominant theoretical influences on the study of group communication as discussed by the authors, and problems inherent to the application of structural-functional models are identified in the literature.
Abstract: The functional perspective represents one of three dominant theoretical influences on the study of group communication. Howeve, problems inherent to the application of structural-functional models ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the internal and external communication of a small group, the performing group, using Bochner's lypology of five functions of communication: impression management, expression, organization, validation, and protection.
Abstract: This artick examines the internal and external communication of an underresearched type of small group, the performing group. A participant observation case study of a nightclub band explores the challenge of engaging in internal and external group communication simultaneously. The author uses Bochner's lypology ofthefivefunctions of communication-impression management, expression, organization, validation, and protection-to define role functions salient to this performing group. Signals sent by different members to other members and the audience provide evidence of three previously unidentified rolefunctions-frontperson, expressive leader, and stage leader-described in terms of concernfordifferent functions of communication.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the association of work unit demographics of age, gender, race, and education with the use of disciplinary actions in different work units of a nationally based sample offranchise operations.
Abstract: Previous research suggests that the demographic attributes of a work unit can be linked to organizational variables such as communication and turnover rates. The current study continues this line of research by examining the association of work unit demographics of age, gender, race, and education with the use of disciplinary actions in different work units of a nationally based sample offranchise operations. Using a sample of 244fast-food store operations, this studyfound an association between education ratios and use of disciplinary actions. Heterogeneity effects for race were also found. The results suggest that organizational demography is a complex construct that requires both greater theoretical development andfurther empirical research.