Abstract
Group interaction frequently results in group members changing their prior beliefs to a more extreme position. This is referred to as group polarization. Using the model of communicative events, this paper proposes that task, medium of communication, group composition and their interaction will have an effect on the phenomenon of group polarization. A laboratory experiment was conducted to address these questions. A 2x2x2 factorial design was used to analyze the results. The analysis indicates that polarization does in fact occur and that the level of polarization varies depending on: the medium of communication, the task characteristics and their interaction. The composition of the group does not have a significant effect on polarization. The findings reported in this study have significance for developers, users and researchers of collaborative systems and for social-psychologists who study the phenomenon of group enhanced attitude shifts.
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