Self-Construals, Communication Processes, and Group Outcomes in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Groups

Abstract

The objective of this study was to test a theoretical model posited by the author in 1995 that explains the relationships among self-construals (independent and interdependent self-image), communication processes (participation, cooperation, and respect), and outcomes (satisfaction, performance, and withholding effort) in homogeneous and heterogeneous groups. Students (N = 189) completed three tasks in a group that varied in composition from homogeneous to heterogeneous in regards to age, gender, and ethnicity. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that (a) self-construals of group members better explained the communication processes used by a small group than did composition, (b) situational interdependent self-construals were associated positively with participation and cooperation, (c) equal participation and respect were related negatively to the degree to which members withhold effort in a group, (d) equal participation and respect were related positively with the level of satisfaction in a group, and (e) cooperation, equal participation, and respect were not related to performance.