ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses that attitude researchers have produced a host of findings and theories on attitude formation in small groups, such as was described with Schachter's classic study. It then discusses some of the phenomena in more detail. In order to do so, it relies on the same parameters as Social Impact Theory: number, strength and immediacy. This phenomenon, referred to as polarisation, is well known in small group research. A classic study that is also a model example of realism and ecological validity in lab experiments provided evidence for this phenomenon. Second, and perhaps somewhat astonishing after what it discussed above about the influence of numbers, the system did not completely shift. Although there is supporting evidence for Nemeth's perspective, most of her, as well as other people's, work is not concerned with attitudes but problem solving. The chapter concludes by mentioning that classic persuasion research often neglected the social nature of persuasion.