A Review and Critique of Partner Effect Research in Small Groups

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to discuss the ways in which partner effects are examined in group contexts. We focus on social influence, as it is a common theme in group research from cognate fields such as communication, psychology, family studies, social psychology, and business. We elaborate on different conceptions of partner effects in our discussion of the social relations model (SRM), the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), and the group actor-partner interdependence model (GAPIM), and provide a comprehensive review of the studies that have utilized these models to study groups. Following that, we discuss the ways in which partner effects research can improve our theoretical and empirical understanding of group processes.In this article, we review research that incorporates partner effects within group contexts. The term partner effect has both conceptual and methodological implications for modeling small group processes. Conceptually, a partner effect refers to changes in self's cognitions and/or behavior as a function of what other group members say and do. The nature of influence, as

Individual versus peer grit: Influence on later individual literacy achievement of dual language learners.

“…A long history of actor-group partner research in counseling groups has reported that group members' psychological qualities influence an individual's performance, above and beyond an individual's psychological qualities (Ervin & Bonito, 2014). Such group research has relied on social influence theory, specifically a group actor-partner interdependence model (GAPIM) that conceptualizes individual performance as dependent on group partners' scores (Kenny & Garcia, 2012).…”

Work Coordination as a Social Interaction Process in Nursing Staff Meetings

“…On the other hand, if one continuously needs to seek confirmation or if information is not seen as factual until someone else confirms it, these processes may also place stress on employees. For example, according to Ervin and Bonito (2014), one's willingness to participate may diminish if one is being repetitively rejected, and Breaux et al (2008) suggest that the lack of sense of being able to control one's work may threaten wellbeing at work. Consequently, to support well-being construction via work coordination, equal possibilities for participation and acceptance of attendees' various viewpoints are required.…”

Positivity within teamwork: Cross-level effects of positivity on performance

“…Thus, understanding how group members behave or feel as a function of the others in the group is a critical issue raising different questions regarding the relationship between members and their own group (Ervin & Bonito, 2014;Kenny & Garcia, 2012). The most basic question is the effect of a person's fit into the group or the person's similarity to the other members, but there is also the effect of the group's average, sometimes called group climate, on individuals (Florin, Giamartino, Kenny, & Wandersman, 1990).…”