The Association between Group Procedural MOPs and Group Discussion Procedure

Abstract

Although some descriptions of group discussion have characterized group process as an overall sequence of functionally organized linear stages, others have emphasized the presence of short proposal-centered “reach-testing” sequences recurring (“spiraling”) throughout the discussion. Research has indicated that people’s preconceived notions of ideal group procedure (their “group procedural memory organization packets [MOPs]”) can be classified as linear, reach-testing, or some compromise between the two. A study was performed to examine whether groups consisting solely of these three MOP types differed in group process and output. The results showed linear groups to spiral less often than reach-testing and compromising groups, but the content of these spirals did not differ among the types. Across MOP types, group process revealed aspects of both linear and reach-testing models. Group output did not differ reliably among the three types.