TOULMIN MODEL

Question

Assignment: Group Analysis Paper

Goal

To demonstrate your ability to analyze and explain the effectiveness of a group.

Assignment Requirements

Your group analysis paper should address the seven topics that follow. You do not

have to answer each sub category, but you should use them to stimulate and

organize your analysis. Make sure you provide specific examples of group behavior

to support your conclusions.

• Group Development: Using Tuckman’s group development stages, discuss

the formation and development of the group.

• Describe the extent to which Tuckman’s stages helped to explain or to

predict group behavior.

• How well did the group resolve primary tension and secondary

tension?

• Group Norms: Identify the group’s explicit and implicit norms.

• Did these norms help or hinder the group’s ability to achieve its goals?

• Were certain topics of discussion avoided in the group (e.g., talk about

feelings, discussing member behavior, topics such as sex, religion,

politics)?

• Was there anyone who did not conform to group norms? If so, what

were the consequences?

• Group Roles: Identify the various roles assumed by group members. Discuss

the distribution of task, maintenance, and self-centered roles.

• Did any type of role predominate (e.g., task, maintenance, or self-

centered)?

• Did any specific role or roles predominate (e.g., opinion giver,

harmonizer, deserter)?

• If there was an imbalance in roles, describe what the group did or did

not do to create better balance.

• Influence and Leadership: Identify the member(s) who assumed leadership

or exerted the most influence.

• Did the group appoint a leader or did a leader emerge?

• Using one of the theories discussed in the textbook, describe and

analyze the leadership in your group.

• Which members were highly influential? Which members had little

influence? How did different levels of influence affect group outcomes?

• Was there rivalry or a struggle for leadership? If yes, what effect did

this have on other group members and the group as a whole?

• Participation: Analyze differences in the amount and quality of member

participation.

• How did member diversity (culture, gender, age, etc.) affect group

interaction? To what extent did your group strive to understand,

respect, and adapt to member differences?

• Who were the high participators and who were the low participators?

What effects did the level of participation have on other group

members and the group as a whole?

• Who seemed engaged and interested or disengaged and disinterested?

What effects did these members have on overall group performance

and member satisfaction?

• Did conflict arise in the group? If yes, how did the group and its

members respond to the conflict?

• Was the conflict successfully resolved? Why or why not?

• Structured and Creative Problem Solving: Analyze how well the group

used structured and creative problem-solving techniques to achieve its goals.

• What, if any, procedures did the group use for decision making and

problem solving? How effective or ineffective were these procedures?

• Did the group stay focused or drift from topic to topic? How did other

members react to the group’s style?

• How well did the group use creative problem solving?

• Group Communication: Analyze how well the group communicated with

one another.

• Which members were models of effective group communication?

Describe the communication strategies and skills they used.

• How effectively did you and your group listen to one another?

• How effectively did you and your group use verbal and nonverbal

communication?

• How well did your group resolve disagreements and conflict?

• To what extent did the members of your group behavior ethically?

• If you were to work with this group again, what communication

strategies could you use to improve group performance?

Grading Criteria

• Responds thoroughly and responsibly to all seven issues.

• Suggested length is 5-7 pages

• Demonstrates effective analysis of group communication.

• Provides theory-based and practical suggestions for group improvement.

• Paper is clearly organized and well-written.

• Paper is proofread and free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Approved Movie List

• Alive

• Mean Girls

• Breakfast Club

• Remember the Titans

• Hidden Figures

• Toy Story