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The circumplex model of group tasks is a circle with four quadrants representing goal-related activities done by groups of people. The activities are: generating a task, choosing correct procedure, negotiating resolutions to conflicts, and executing the task.
The circumplex model of group tasks was inspired by the circumplex model of emotions, a graphical representation of emotional states (see Emotion classification § Circumplex model) that is usually a circle with unpleasant on the left, pleasant on the right, activation on the top, and deactivation on the bottom. All the other emotions are placed around the circle as combinations of these four basic states. It is based on the theory that people experience emotions as overlapping and ambiguous. [1]
Joseph E McGrath modified the circumplex model of emotions to include group dynamics, based on the work of Shaw, Carter, Hackman, Steiner, Shiflett, Taylor, Lorge, Davis, Laughlin, and others. [2] McGrath used this model as a research tool to evaluate group task performance.
Group dynamics involve the influential actions, processes and changes that exist both within and between groups. [3] Group dynamics also involve the scientific study of group processes. [3] Through extensive research in the field of group dynamics, it is now well known that all groups, despite their innumerable differences, possess common properties and dynamics. [3] Social psychological researchers have attempted to organize these commonalities, in order to further understand the genuine nature of group processes.
For instance, social psychological research indicates that there are numerous goal-related interactions and activities that groups of all sizes undertake . These interactions have been categorized by Robert F. Bales, who spent his entire life attempting to find an answer to the question, "What do people do when they are in groups?". [3] To simplify the understanding of group interactions, Bales concluded that all interactions within groups could be categorized as either a relationship interaction (or socioemotional interaction) or a task interaction. [4]
Just as Bales was determined to identify the basic types of interactions involved in groups, Joseph E. McGrath was determined to identify the various goal-related activities that are regularly displayed by groups. McGrath contributed greatly to the understanding of group dynamics through the development of his circumplex model of group tasks. [5] As intended, McGrath's model effectively organizes all group-related activities by distinguishing between four basic group goals. These goals are referred to as the circumplex model of group task's four quadrants, which are categorized based on the dominant performance process involved in a group's task of interest. [6]
The four quadrants are as follows:
To further differentiate the various goal-related group activities, McGrath further sub-divides these four categories, resulting in eight categories in total. The breakdown of these categories is as follows:
1. Generating ideas or plans
2. Choosing a solution
3. Negotiating a solution to a conflict
4. Executing a task
According to McGrath and Kravitz (1982), [6] the four most commonly represented tasks in the group dynamics literature are intellective tasks, decision-making tasks, cognitive conflict tasks and mixed-motive tasks.
The circumplex model of group tasks takes the organization of goal-related activities a step further by distinguishing between tasks that involve cooperation between group members, cooperation tasks (Types 1, 2, 3 and 8) and tasks that often lead to conflict between group members, conflict tasks (Types 4, 5, 6 and 7). [3] Additionally, McGrath's circumplex model of group tasks also distinguishes between tasks that require action (behavioural tasks) and tasks that require conceptual review (conceptual tasks). 'Behavioural tasks' include Types 1, 6, 7 and 8, while 'conceptual tasks' include Types 2, 3, 4 and 5. [3]
The circumplex model of group tasks is, evidently, a very detailed and complex model. To allow for a more thorough understanding of its properties, a visual representation of the model has been developed. (Need a diagram of the model)
Since the circumplex model of group tasks is quite detailed and complex, numerous social psychological researchers have attempted to describe the model in various ways to ensure readers obtain an optimal understanding of the model. For instance, according to Straus and McGrath (1994), [7] the four quadrants and the various task types with which they contain all relate to one another within a two-dimensional space. More specifically, Straus and McGrath (1994) [7] state that the horizontal dimension of the circumplex model of group tasks reflects the extent to which a task entails cognitive versus behavioural performance requirements whereas the vertical dimension reflects the extent and form of interdependence among members. [7]
Categorization is a type of cognition involving conceptual differentiation between characteristics of conscious experience, such as objects, events, or ideas. It involves the abstraction and differentiation of aspects of experience by sorting and distinguishing between groupings, through classification or typification on the basis of traits, features, similarities or other criteria that are universal to the group. Categorization is considered one of the most fundamental cognitive abilities, and it is studied particularly by psychology and cognitive linguistics.
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A team is a group of individuals working together to achieve their goal.
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The goal of most research on group development is to learn why and how small groups change over time. To quality of the output produced by a group, the type and frequency of its activities, its cohesiveness, the existence of group conflict.
Joseph E. McGrath was an American social psychologist, known for his work on small groups, time, stress, and research methods.
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The Network Science Collaborative Technology Alliance (NS CTA) is a collaborative research alliance funded by the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and focused on fundamental research on the critical scientific and technical challenges that emerge from the close interdependence of several genres of networks such as social/cognitive, information, and communications networks. The primary goal of the NS CTA is to deeply understand the underlying commonalities among these intertwined networks, and, by understanding, improve our ability to analyze, predict, design, and influence complex systems interweaving many kinds of networks.
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