The Effect of Contributing Substantively on Perceptions of Participation

Abstract

Participation often affects group processes and decision making. Members who are considered to be more useful participators often speak more frequently and are more influential than other participants. Consequently, it is important to identify the mechanisms that affect judgments of participation. This article examines how self- and other-judgments of participation are affected by contributions to discussion. As predicted, assessments of self’s and others’ participation were influenced by what was said and how often. Moreover, a participant’s satisfaction with discussion was positively associated with both self- and other-assessments of participation. Discussion focuses on the relation between characteristics of group interaction and the task and provides issues for future research.