Majority-minority influence: identifying argumentative patterns and predicting argument-outcome links |
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| Authors: | RA Meyers DE Brashers J Hanner |
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| Institution: | Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA;Department of Speech Communication, University of Illinois, USA;New Horizons Computer Learning Company, Madison, WI, USA |
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| Abstract: | In this paper, the authors investigate the argument activities of majority and minority faction in small group decision-making situations. We begin by identifying patterns of argument that characterize majority and minority communication in 34 discussions and then test several subgroup-outcome and argument-outcome links. Results indicate that winning and losing subgroups argue differently (as do minority and majority subgroups overall) and that consistency in argument is a strong predictor of subgroup success. Both theoretical and practical implications for subgroup influence in group decision making accrue from these findings. |
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