Theories of social interaction focus on attributes of persons, situational expression of these attributes, and relation of personal attributes to those of others in groups. Task groups are the main topic of interest in these studies. This article briefly reviews core ideas of one theory of interaction. This theory emphasizes the relational explanation of organizing interaction. Developments within the theory based on research that is both supportive of it and challenging to it are discussed. The article concludes with a brief overview of other articles in this special issue.
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