Two studies were conducted in order to investigate the role of similarity and influence processes in groups. It was proposed that if group members believe they share one or more salient characteristics (i.e., relevant to the evaluation process) with a target it will (a) fundamentally change the way those group members orient themselves towards that target, and (b) subsequently affect the way those members contribute to the group discussion. Findings suggested that group members who were similar to a target were perceived as having contributed more novel arguments to the group discussion than those dissimilar, and high self-reported levels of communication competence significantly predicted a person's ability to generate arguments about a target. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/238656 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Ervin, Jennifer |
| Contributors | Bonito, Joseph A., Segrin, Chris, Harwood, Jake |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Electronic Thesis |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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