Suchergebnisse

The purpose of this study was to use recent conceptual and methodological advances in the area of personality and group processes to reexamine the relationship between personality and individual behavior in groups. Two self-report dispositional measures, the Masculinity and Femininity scales of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, were used as predictors of interpersonal behavior as measured by the System for the Multiple Level Observation of Groups (SYMLOG). As predicted, masculinity was positively associated with dominant behavior in the group. The hypothesized relationship between femininity and positive, friendly interpersonal behavior was found using retrospective ratings of behavior but failed to reach significance using the observational method. The current findings show that personality is an important variable affecting interaction in groups. Implications for the design and performance of task groups are explored.

The purpose of this study was to examine andpredict individual workand nonwork behavior in groups, based on the personality of the individual. Personality was defined in terms of Bales 's SYMLOG character types. Work and nonwork behavior were conceptualized in terms of the Bion work group and basic assumption groups. Intelligence and gender were used as control variables. It was expected that group members observed to be task oriented and emotionally controlled, in SYMLOG terms, would be in a work group mode. The subjects in the study were participants in four academic self-study groups. Factor analysis was used to create scales describing work and nonwork activity. Scores on these scales were correlated with scores generated from SYMLOG Observations, SYMLOG Retrospective Ratings, the Culture Fair Intelligence Test, and the gender of the participants. The results of this study strongly supported the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between work activity as defined by Bion and the SYMLOG character type of task orientation/emotional control. There were also a number of significant relationships between the various basic assumption groups modes and other SYMLOG dimensions. These results suggest that it is possible to systematically code and predict work and nonwork activity in groups based on the personality of the individuals involved. Implications forfurther research are explored.

This study hypothesized that the social behavioral of field independent-dependent (Witkin, 1978) subjects in a noncontrived organic group will differ along the task emotionally-expressive dimensions identified by Bales and Cohen (1979). In addition, the study sought to establish discriminant validity for the field independent-cognitive style variable by contrasting it with apparently similar but conceptually different variables, i.e., dogmatism and sociability. Behaviors of field independents and dependents were observed over 25 1 ½-hr sessions, spread over a 4-month period. Social behaviors of participants were rated by both participating and nonparticipating observers at the middle and at the end of sessions by Bales' Interpersonal Rating Forms. Field independence and dependence was found not related to dogmatism or sociability. As hypothesized, field dependents behaved in a responsive, task-oriented, problem-solving mode while field independents behaved in a social-emotional rebellious and resistant mode in the present organic group. It was concluded that field independents show discomfort in the organic group by withdrawing from and rebelling against the task and its leadership. Field dependents accept and are supportive of the socially open-ended task of the organic group and its leadership.