Evaluations of group products as a function of expectations of group longevity, outcome of competition, and publicity of evaluations

Employed a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design to study conditions that influence members' evaluation of their own group's product and that of a competing group. Ss were 336 undergraduates. Group members were told that they either would or would not continue working together in future competitive confrontations with another group. After the competition, group members were informed that their product had either won or lost or that a decision about the winner had not yet been made. Ss were then asked to evaluate their own group's product and that of the competing group either in public or in private. Results show that in "continuing" groups, members of groups declared the winner showed less overevaluation of their own product when ratings were given in public than in private. The reverse effect was found in the losing groups. These effects were interpreted to result from Ss' desire to avoid complacency in winning groups and to avoid despair in losing groups. Ss in the "discontinuing" groups overevaluated their own group's product more in public than in private. This effect was found in winning as well as losing groups and was interpreted as showing Ss' desire to leave the group with a positive expression. The value of communication of group product evaluation is discussed in light of the obtained results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1975 American Psychological Association.

Duke Scholars

Author E. Allan Lind Fuqua School of Business