ACCEPTANCE OF INFLUENCE IN TASK GROUPS

Acceptance of influence in task groups was investigated by means of an experiment with a 2 (competence: advantage, disadvantage) x 2 (interd ependence: competition, cooperation) between-subjects and a 2 (stimulu s ambiguity: low, high) x 2 (discrepancy: large, small) within-subject s factorial design. Predictions were based on status generalization re search and on theorizing by Festinger and Turner. Competence-advantage d subjects accepted less influence than competence-disadvantaged subje cts. Subjects in the competition condition accepted less influence tha n subjects in the cooperation condition. Acceptance of influence was g reater when group members were less confident about their solution of the task and when discrepancies in judgments were larger. Three statis tical interaction effects were found and are discussed.