Accession Number:

AD0607243

Title:

SOME EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATION RESTRAINTS ON PROBLEM-SOLVING BEHAVIOR.

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept. and Research bulletin,

Corporate Author:

EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE PRINCETON N J

Personal Author(s):

• MCConville,Carolyn B.
• Hemphill,John K.

Report Date:

1964-09-01

Pagination or Media Count:

4.0

Abstract:

The present experiment tests the hypothesis that communication facilitates the development of structure-in-interaction and thus contributes to the effectiveness of the groups problem-solving activities. The subjects, 120 women, most of whom were college graduates and ranged in age from 20 to 60 years, were divided into 30 groups of four members each. One-third were designated as Free Communication groups, another third as Limited Communication groups, and the final third as No Communication groups. The task for all groups was identical to light a goal square in a 5 x 5 electrical plugboard in a minimum number of moves. Rules defining permissible moves were imposed to create a mutual task. The Free Communication groups were permitted to send a written message to any all of their partners between trials the Limited Communication groups were required to send a message to each of their partners between trials the No Communication groups were required to send a message to the experimenter at the end of each trial. Measures relating to task effectiveness showed the No Communication groups to be the most competent, the Free Communication groups next most competent, and the Limited groups least competent. This result was not anticipated. Detailed analysis suggests that under certain conditions group task performance may be hindered rather than facilitated by certain types of communication. Author

Descriptors:

• *GROUP DYNAMICS
• SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
• PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)
• BEHAVIOR
• SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
• PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• STUDENTS
• FEMALES

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE