Focusing on Midpoint Transitions: An Analysis of Boundary Conditions

Abstract

Extending understanding of time as a metric and a punctuation device for the work of groups, we conceptualize time pacing as a semistructure, a structure that increases flexibility for addressing ambiguous tasks. Semistructures enable group members to interrupt their work to “stop and think,” evaluate the work, and develop alternative work strategies. Using data from 80 experimental groups, we found that midpoint transitions and time pacing emerged under various, although not all, conditions. Familiarity among group members and formal instructions, both of which provide semistructures, promoted the occurrence of midpoint transitions and temporal pacing.