ABSTRACT
The sexual allocation of the function we are calling the "stroking or supportive function" — to be described presently — is more pivotal than the others, more central, more pervasive in its influence, more subtle, and so more difficult to evaluate in terms of impact on the general welfare or to assess in terms of costs and benefits. The indispensability of the expressive function in task-oriented groups can be documented in the laboratory. Without it the group is not likely to accomplish its task. Its ubiquity suggests its universal contribution to groups and social systems everywhere. The male conventioneer described above reaped a considerable cathartic bonus from the woman's appreciation without having to pay anything for it but the price of a cocktail. Specialization in the stroking function is probably also incompatible with the kind of aggression called for by creativity.
