Page 40 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Human Communication Processes in the Small Group Context 23

appropriate directions for communication scholars, continue today with researchers
calling for more study of technologically mediated group communication, expanding
interest in international groups and more thorough exploration of the effects of mes-
sages on group members and outcomes. 2
This chapter addresses the general nature of small group communication pro-
cesses. We will first talk about the unique features of the small group context so that
you can better appreciate the contextual constraints small groups place upon your
communicative efforts compared with other contexts, such as dyads or organizations.
Then we will review central principles of communication in small groups and discuss
how those principles may be altered in computer-mediated communication in groups.
Listening, an often neglected component of communication, will be examined.
Finally, we will conclude this chapter with a discussion of nonverbal behaviors and
how they affect your group interactions.

The Small Group Context

3
Communication occurs within specific situations under particular contraints. You
communicate, for instance, at work as part of a larger organization, with a friend one-
on-one, to an audience giving a speech, and in small groups. These are commonly
referred to as contexts, which pose constraints on our communication, some common Context
4
to several contexts, but many peculiar to a specific context. Small group communica- The situation or
tion is understood better when, we appreciate the unique situational constraints that environment that
occur in a particular context. influences the
Four factors affect communication across all contexts and pose unique communi- dynamics of
5
cative challenges for small groups (see Table 2.1). The number of people interacting communication.
with each other has the most impact on your communication. For example, consider
6
what happens to your communication when you are talking with a close friend and a
third party enters the conversation. In Chapter 5, we will explore further how increas-
ing group size increases the amount of coordination and energy members must
expend when they work in groups.
Second, while feedback in face-to-face small groups is immediate, as it is in dyads,
7
it becomes much more psychologically complex, due to the number of people involved.
Our small student group of five in the opening case involves 90 potential relationships!
Wilmot argues that a group’s leadership, to be discussed in Chapters 7 and 8, is what
helps us manage these multiple relationships by reducing them into manageable
smaller groupings. For example, Lam, in our case, was trying to quell the discontent
between two coalitions: Kelli/Tamika and Ryan/Tyler.
Third, small group member roles (discussed in Chapter 5) are more explicitly
negotiated, and member pressure to conform to role expectations is more obvious
8
compared to the more informal interpersonal context. Both Kelli and Tamika are not
happy that Tyler has failed to meet their expectations and have publicly criticized him.
Tyler’s behavior also showed us that in small group contexts, coalitions emerge (Ryan
and Tyler) as well as deviants (Tyler), which is not possible in dyads. Not only do
deviants and coalitions emerge, they change throughout the history of the group as

gal37018_ch02_021_050.indd 23 3/30/18 11:13 AM