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Article
Member Diversity and Cohesion and Performance in Walking Groups
Small Group Research (2006)
  • Albert V. Carron
  • Kim M. Shapcott, University of Western Ontario
  • Shauna M. Burke, University of Western Ontario
  • Michael H. Bradshaw, Kansas State University
  • Paul A. Estabrooks
Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship of group member diversity in task-related attributes (i.e., self-efficacy, level of previous physical activity, and personal goals) and task-unrelated attributes (i.e., ethnicity and gender) to task cohesiveness and task performance in walking groups (N varied from 1,324 to 1,392 groups for the analyses). For the task-related attributes, diversity in level of previous physical activity was significantly related to both task cohesion and group performance—as diversity increased, cohesion and performance decreased. For the task-unrelated attributes, diversity in gender was related to task cohesion—as diversity increased, cohesion decreased. Gender diversity was unrelated to group performance. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the dynamics of task-oriented groups.

Keywords
  • goals,
  • self-efficacy,
  • physical activity,
  • group composition,
  • taskoriented groups,
  • gende,
  • ethnicity
Publication Date
2006
Citation Information
Albert V. Carron, Kim M. Shapcott, Shauna M. Burke, Michael H. Bradshaw, et al.. "Member Diversity and Cohesion and Performance in Walking Groups" Small Group Research Vol. 37 (2006)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/dr_shauna_burke/17/