Small Group Interaction and Outcome Correlates for Structured and Unstructured Tasks

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Abstract
This study reports tests of the input-process-output model of small group systems. Regression statistics analyzed associations between interaction process variables and measuresofgroup task products under two task conditions: an unstructured outcome case study problem and a structured outcome rank-order decision task Results for the unstructured task showed positive relationships between specific process (independent) and output (dependent) variables: Agreeing and Optimism; Gives Opinion and Issue Involvement; Disagrees and Originality; Asks for Information and Length (of written product). Nonsignificant results for the Structured task indicated that ranking-task products were positively associated with messages of positive regard for others and requests for opinion and negatively related to personally disconfirmatory messages sent to others. Findings are discussed in terms of the general model's conceptual adequacy and methodological limitations associated with small group inquiry.