The Effects of Peer Group Support Upon Discussion and Opinion Change in a Two-Person Group

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of varying amounts of peer group support on discussion and opinion change in a two-person verbal interaction. The results indicated that males speak more than females, subjects in groups where there was unequal support spoke more and made more positive and fewer neutral statements than subjects in groups with equal support. The most neutral and fewest positive statements were emitted in groups where subjects each had a moderate amount of support.