ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses how communication affects the process of cognitive tuning to arrive at a common understanding of the group task. It elaborates on the role of communication in the process of tuning common and private interests. The chapter discusses some preventive measures that can be taken to weaken dysfunctional normative conformity pressures. It describes some classic studies on the role of communication in group members' attempts to form, maintain and change their common frame of reference, respectively. The groups often take additional normative measures to counteract group members' temptation to free ride on fellow members' cooperative efforts. Real group interaction leads to mutual matching that normalises a low performance level. Members of a minority who challenge the prevailing group norm by maintaining their own discrepant views in a consistent and confident way may not only successfully withstand conformity pressures of the majority, but may also have innovative impact on the group.