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ERIC Number: ED116696
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1976
Pages: 20
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Effect of Feedback on Group Cohesiveness.
Mears, Peter M.
The effect of feedback on group cohesiveness (measured in terms of group and task attractiveness) for a person who is performing a simple, highly repetitive task was studied. One hundred business administration students, randomly assigned to five member groups, completed a series of trials having the goal of determining the number commonly held by the other members of their group as quickly as possible. In each group communication was restricted to written messages and partitions restricted the flow of messages among members according to a predetermined wheel or circle communication network. Half the groups participated in feedback at the end of each trial, the other half did not. All subjects were measured for their feeling of group and task attractiveness at the beginning, middle and end of the experiment. Based on a nested hierarchical design, feedback was found to positively affect a member's opinion of his group, but neither the opportunity for feedback, the network nor the individual's position within the network had a significant influence on the member's attractiveness to the task (findings are significant at the .005 level). The findings suggested group attractiveness was facilitated through formalized feedback mechanisms. However, feedback does not change an individual's opinion of the job performed. Similarly, programs designed to furnish feedback to workers performing menial tasks may not enhance the workers attractiveness to the job. (HB)
Publication Type: Books
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A