The Development of Collective Efficacy in Small Task Groups

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess how collective efficacy changes over time as a group receives feedback on a meaningful task. As part of a class project, student groups were formed early in the semester and remained intact for 4 months. Performance, collective efficacy, and self-efficacy were measured six times during the semester. Members began to agree about the group’s ability to perform early in the group’s development. However, analysis indicated that variation came from both within and between groups. Additional analysis indicated that other variables, most notably self-efficacy, continued to influence beliefs about group performance.