Structural properties of groups

Abstract

Five structural properties — consensus, role differentiation, fragmentation, status differentiation, and solidarity — were measured by quantitative sociometric procedures on a heterogeneous sample of 104 groups (42 nuclear families, 19 university classes, 22 student peer groups, and 21 patrols of boy scouts and girl guides). Role differentiation, fragmentation, and status differentiation were measured sociometrically with fair reliability. Consensus, role differentiation, status differentiation, and solidarity showed a fair degree of convergent validity when compared with outside informants' and members' judgements of the same group properties, assessed from multiple-item scales. Discriminant validity was adequate for the measures of role differentiation and status differentiation, but consensus and solidarity were not well enough distinguished by informants to yield adequate discriminant validity for these two sociometric measures.