The Relationship between Cohesiveness and Effectiveness in Small Isolated Groups: A Field Study

Abstract

The relationship between cohesiveness and group effectiveness among groups of men at U.S. Antarctic research stations was investigated. Cohesiveness indices based upon positive intermember attraction were negatively correlated with incidence of emotional symptomatology within station groups, but were, for the most part, unrelated to supervisors' and group members' perceptions of performance. Indices based upon negative intermember attraction (conflict), in contrast, were significantly related to perceptions of performance, particularly those of supervisors, but were unrelated to symptomatology. The differential importance of positive and negative intermember attraction for different aspects of group functioning was discussed, and the probable moderating role of task versus social-relations orientations in the cohesiveness-effectiveness relationship was suggested.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1974
Accession Number
ADA038375

Entities

People

  • E. K.Eric Gunderson
  • George E. Seymour
  • Robin R. Vallacher

Organizations

  • Naval Health Research Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biomedical Research
  • California
  • Contrast
  • Dynamics
  • Friendship
  • Group Dynamics
  • Hostility
  • Human Behavior
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Motivation
  • New York
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Perception
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Scientific Research
  • Supervisors

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Organizational Psychology.