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Abstract

Using the expectancy-valence model, this study investigates the effects of group motivation on group task performance. Two levels of valence, expectancy, and instrumentality are experimentally created, resulting in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design incorporating 128 mixed-sex groups. Although the results generally confirm the hypotheses, patterns of effects of the independent variables differ, depending on the nature of the dependent variable under consideration. The effect of the valence variable is found on the group productivity on the unstructured task as well as on the task-persistence measure. The effect of the expectancy variable is found on the task-persistence measure. Finally, the effect of the instrumentality variable is found on group productivity on the structured task. For all three independent variables, groups in the high conditions perform better than groups in the low conditions. Significant interactions among the independent variables are not found, though the model had so predicted.

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Group Motivation and Group Task Performance

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