Group Cohesiveness as a Determinant of Egocentric Perceptions in Cooperative Groups.
Abstract
It has been consistently found that members of cooperative groups claim greater personal responsibility for their group's performance after a group success rather than failure. However, when high group chesiveness is present norms and interpersonal bonds may exist that mitigate against taking high personal credit for success and low blame for failure. Hence, it was hypothesized that in high conesive groups, there would be little or no relationship between the assignment of personal responsibility and the quality of the group product, while in low cohesive groups, responsibility would be directly related to the quality of the group product. To test this hypothesis, 96 subjects interacted in four-person, problem-solving groups. Supposedly on the basis of prior individual test scores, subjects were informed that they were either highly compatible (high cohesiveness) or incompatible (low cohesiveness) with the other group members. After the group tasks, subjects were told that their group had been either very successful, very unsuccessful, or average on the problems. The results indicate that self-aggrandizement biases that occur at the expense of the group are greater in low rather than high cohesive groups, but primarily affect dominance and leadership feelings rather than other interpersonal perceptions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA019413
Entities
People
- Barry R. Schlenker
- Patricia Rooks
- Rowland S. Miller
Organizations
- University of Florida