Another test of the effect of group composition on member behavior change

Three-person groups (N = 24) dedicated to addressing assertion deficits common to their (female) members were so composed that one member (a confederate) consistently enacted one of four prescribed conditions: (1) personal warmth/success in changing; (2) personal warmth/failure to change; (3) lack of warmth/success in changing; and (4) lack of warmth/failure to change. Both confederate warmth and success modeling influenced the level of assertion change behavior reported by group members. These results confirm propositions based on clinical observations that therapeutic groups benefit measurably by the presence of one or more “warmth generators” and “success models.” The results also suggest that while group members are influenced to effect change by success modeling, they tend to attribute this influence to confederate warmth. In addition, they tend to attribute success in changing to warm persons and failure to change to persons who are lacking in warmth.