Interaction Patterns and Facilitation of Peer Learning

Abstract

Individuals who possess special abilities, skills, and knowledge relative to the group task have the potential to make important contributions to group performance. The degree to which this potential is realized depends on the behaviors of those persons. These behaviors are determined, in part, by the individual characteristics of group members (Mann, 1959;Bouchard, 1969) and in part by the particular assembly of persons (Rosenberg et al., 1955). The important question, however, is what kinds of behaviors influence performance in groups. In an earlier study (Shaw et al., 1979), an attempt was made to identify some of the behaviors of group members that are related to their own performance and to the performance of other group members. The results supported the hypothesis that giving information, ideas, and opinions to the group is positively correlated with the perception by others in the group that the member is facilitating group performance, whereas asking for information and opinions is positively related to objective measures of facilitation of group performance. AUTHORS' NOTE: We wish to express our deep appreciation to the University of Florida Medical and Dental Classes of 1981 and 1982. Without their approval and cooperation these studies would have been impossible. The project was partially supported under Contract SP20/77A by the National Fund for Medical Education.

Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials’ Organizational Relationships and Performance

“…If they can work as members of a team, they can avoid the risk associated with independent thinking and decisions. While it is true some types of decision making can be improved in group contexts (Shaw 1981 ), a group-reliant mentality does not foster individual decision-making confidence, nor does it enable individuals to demonstrate their own creativity and ability. Another problem is that teamwork and group meetings take time.…”

A Status-Based Multilevel Model of Ethnic Diversity and Work Unit Performance

“…In work units composed of subgroups, preferences for similar others lead members to identify with their subgroup, rather than the unit as a whole, which prevents work unit cohesion—defined as high-quality relationships among work unit members, characterized by interpersonal attraction, liking, trust, and satisfaction (cf. Dobbins & Zaccaro, 1986; Katz & Kahn, 1978; Shaw, 1981). Low cohesion, in turn, negatively affects performance.…”

Contextual influences on the relations between physical and relational aggression and peer victimization

“…The prevalence of certain practices within a group reflects a type of group norm, often referred to as a descriptive norm (Cialdini, Kallgren, & Reno, 1991) which can affect peer interactions (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). The frequency or normativeness of behavior among peer groups serves as a guideline for appropriate behavior (Berkowtiz, 2003; Cialdini et al, 1991; Miller & Prentice, 1994; Shaw, 1981). Past research has supported that children who are exposed to environments in which aggression is prevalent or normative tend to act aggressively in suit (Henry, Guerra, Huesmann, Tolan, VanAcker, & Eron, 2000; Kuppens, Grietens, Omghena, Michiels, & Subramanian, 2008; Nipedal, Nesdale, & Killen, 2010; Thomas, Bierman, & The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2006), reflecting the perception that such behavior is acceptable.…”