Group size and leaderless discussions

Abstract

When leaderless discussion participants were studied in groups of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12, there was a significant decline in the mean leadership assessment earned by participants as the groups studied became larger in size. Maximum stratification in the absolute sense occurred in discussion groups of six. Relative stratification tended to increase directly with increases in discussion group size. Consistency of leadership behavior was at a minimum in discussion groups of 2. Beyond this point, no systematic trends were clearly discernible for behavioral consistency in relation to group size. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)