The Group Viewed from the Vantage Point of the Individual: Effects of Environmental Ambiguity on Evaluative Attitude, Perceived Competence, and Perceived Influence of Central and Peripheral Group Members.

The paper proposes a relatively unexplored and uniquely social psychological approach to the study of small group behavior. According to this approach, the group is examined in terms of the phenomenological view of the individual subject. As an example of the potential utility of such an approach, the paper presents an exploratory study of factors determining attribution of influence, ratings of competence, and ratings of evaluation in a small group operating under varying conditions of environmental ambiguity. It was found that in an ambiguous environment, the actual influence attributed by subjects to a proximate, or central, group member is greater than that attributed to a peripheral group member. This difference, however, breaks down as more relevant feedback concerning the simulated environment becomes available to the group. Similar effects occur for ratings of competence and evaluation. Overall, the results suggested that a more ambiguous environment works in favor of a central group member and to the detriment of a peripheral group member in terms of the relative power each can exert on an individual who interacts with them on a joint task. Author