An Examination of Functional Role Behavior and Its Consequences for Individuals in Group Settings

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Abstract
Adult members of 68 ongoing small groups evaluated their peers' functional role behaviors (i.e., task, maintenance, individual) in classroom settings. These three role categories generally emerged from these group ratings and were interrelated as predicted. Group members who played task roles also tended to play maintenance roles. Individual role behaviors were largely unrelated to task role adoption but were inversely associated with maintenance role behaviors. Perceptions of group cohesiveness were positively linked with both task and maintenance role activity but were lowest among individual role players. Task roles were seen as valuable and as contributing to the group effort, whereas both maintenance and individual roles were viewed neutrally in this regard. Implications of these results for both researchers and group members are addressed.