How Social Influence Processes Generate Cohesion in Task Groups

Abstract

We introduce a theoretical argument linking group structure to an individual’s cohesion in collectively oriented task groups. We posit that status, the distribution of opinions, and social categories indirectly shape perceptions of cohesion by making individuals working on an uncertain task more or less susceptible to the opinions of others. Specifically, these factors influence how likely one is to succumb to the opinions of others, which in turn influences one’s likelihood of viewing one’s actions as valid or consonant with the expectations of the other members of the group. As this process repeats over time, it accumulates to affect individuals’ expressions of cohesion with group members. Results from a laboratory experiment corroborate this process.