The Formation of Positive Group Affective Tone: A Narrative Practice

Abstract

This study uses a social construction perspective to examine how group affective tone develops. Longitudinal data were collected over 18 weeks from the weekly diaries of four teams with 24 university students. Narrative analysis revealed experiences of collectively shared patterns of affective states and the interaction contexts (i.e., affective events) that influenced group affective tone convergence. Emergent themes included topic selection, social support, and how effective team norms help members share positive emotions and moods. Social learning, positive emotional sharing, affective events, and behavioral regularities drive the narratives, leading to the emergence of a positive team affective tone.