This is a study of how decisions are made in small groups. It tests and extends a new model of interaction previously developed by one of the investigators and already considered an important advance. The model takes into account the effects of status differences among group members and how their interaction develops to predict patterns of interaction and the emergence of structures of inequality. The model has the added advantage of taking into account the effects of non-participants on outcomes. Data are collected from 80 four-person groups that vary in status characteristics. %%% The research will contribute to a fundamental understanding of how groups reach decisions by taking into account the status characteristics that individuals bring to the group, their expectations about distributions of power, and the nature of the task performed. Carefully collected data will be prepared to form a data bank for other small group researchers.
