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Tools for Assessing and Evaluating Groups 347

FIGURE 12.6
Profile of Jodi’s Remarks Pie chart displaying
Jodi’s behavioral
functions

Information Giving Opinion Giving Evaluating
Harmonizing Tension Relieving Dramatizing

answers, opinions), styles of conflict management (e.g., self-oriented, other-oriented,
issue-oriented), and so forth. It is important for the observers to classify the remarks
consistently so that the same behavior is classified in the same way by two observers,
or by one observer at two different times.

SYMLOG: Drawing a Snapshot of a Group SYMLOG
SYMLOG, which is an acronym for the System for the Multiple Level Observation of System for the
Groups, is both a theory and a methodology that permits a three-dimensional diagram Multiple Level
to be constructed of a group. Such diagrams can be constructed by outside observers Observation of
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and consultants or by the group members themselves. Examples of such diagrams are Groups, both a
provided in Figure 12.7 and Figure 12.8. (Instructions for producing a simplified theory about member
SYMLOG-like diagram are included in the Instructor’s Manual.) You can see, even characteristics and
effects on group
without detailed information about SYMLOG theory, that the first group (Figure 12.7) interaction, and a
is fragmented and polarized, but the second (Figure 12.8) is unified and cohesive. methodology that
SYMLOG theory rests on the assumption that behavior of each group member in produces a three-
a group can be classified along each of three independent dimensions: dominant ver- dimensional
sus submissive; friendly versus unfriendly; and task-oriented versus emotionally “snapshot” of a group
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expressive. SYMLOG may be used in one of two ways. With the scoring method, at a given point in
external observers score the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of members as they time.
interact in real time. The rating method is easier, requiring no special training; exter-
nal observers or group members themselves complete a 26-question rating scale eval-
uating each member’s behavior. The results are tallied in a particular way so each
member can be placed on the SYMLOG diagram.
Each of the three dimensions is represented by a pair of letters that anchor the
pole positions. For example, P (positive) stands for friendly and N (negative) stands

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