The Effect of Group Level Factors on Affective Convergence in Teams: An agent Based Model by Chaunette Marie Small Bachelor of Arts Psychology University of Central Florida 2006 Master of Science Industrial/Organizational Psychology Florida Institute of Technology 2008 A dissertation Submitted to the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts at Florida Institute of Technology In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Industrial/Organizational Psychology Melbourne, Florida May 2014 © Copyright 2014 Chaunette Marie Small All Rights Reserved The author grants permission to make single copies _______________________ We the undersigned committee hereby recommends that the attached document be accepted as fulfilling in part the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. “The Effect of Group Level Factors on Affective Convergence in Teams: An Agent Based Model” a dissertation by Chaunette Marie Small _____________________________________ Erin Richard, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Industrial Organizational Psychology, School of Psychology Dissertation Advisor _____________________________________ Mary Beth Kenkel, Ph.D. Dean, College of Psychology and Liberal Arts ______________________________________ Patrick Converse, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Industrial Organizational Psychology, School of Psychology ______________________________________ Richard Griffith, Ph.D. Professor, Industrial Organizational Psychology, School of Psychology _______________________________________ John Deaton, Ph.D. Director of Research and Chair, Human Factors Program, College of Aeronautics Abstract The Effect of Group Level Factors on Affective Convergence in Teams: An Agent Based Model by Chaunette Marie Small Major Advisor: Erin Richard, Ph.D. Previous research supports the idea that affective convergence occurs in teams. The phenomenon of group affect has been well documented, however the group level conditions through which affective convergence emerges has received very little research. The current study helps to fill this gap by using agent-based modeling to examine affective convergence under varying group conditions. Agent-based modeling is a recently developed approach to research that uses the power of computers to model individual level behaviors and examine group level emergent constructs. The current study examined display rule presence, display rule breadth, social influence, interdependence, and team size on affective convergence. Results demonstrate support for the influence of group level factors on the latency and variance of affective convergence. Latency of affective convergence was shortest for small teams; teams with greater interdependence; teams with strong social influence; teams with no display rules; and teams with narrow display rules. Variance in team affect over time was influenced by interdependence, social influence processes and team size. Limitations, contributions and future research are discussed. iii Table of Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgement.................................................................................................... vi Dedication ............................................................................................................... vii Brief History of Affect Research .............................................................................. 3 Constructionist Approach to Affect ...................................................................... 7 Levels of Analysis of Affect ............................................................................... 13 Affective Convergence............................................................................................ 16 Processes Driving Affect Convergence .............................................................. 19 Emotional Contagion. ..................................................................................... 19 Social Comparison. ......................................................................................... 22 Group level Influences on Affective Convergence ............................................. 24 Display Rule Breadth. ..................................................................................... 24 Social Influence. .............................................................................................. 29 Task Interdependence...................................................................................... 33 Team Size. ....................................................................................................... 35 Agent-Based Modeling ........................................................................................... 38 Method .................................................................................................................... 44 Procedure ............................................................................................................ 44 Team size. ....................................................................................................... 47 iv Interdependence .............................................................................................. 48 Social Influence. .............................................................................................. 49 Display Rule Breadth. ..................................................................................... 50 Time. ............................................................................................................... 50 Affective Convergence.................................................................................... 51 Sample. ............................................................................................................ 51 Results ..................................................................................................................... 54 Display Rule Presence ........................................................................................ 55 Display Rule Breadth .......................................................................................... 60 Social Influence................................................................................................... 65 Interdependence .................................................................................................. 73 Team Size ............................................................................................................ 81 Exploratory Analysis........................................................................................... 89 Discussion ............................................................................................................... 93 Assumptions and Limitations ........................................................................ 108 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 111 References ............................................................................................................. 112 v Acknowledgement I would like to thank a number of people who stood by me on this journey. First, I would like to thank my family for their endless love and support. My mother, Cindy Weidner, has been my rock and my guiding light since the day I was born. She taught me how to be a strong independent woman who never gives up. Without her role modeling, love, and support I truly feel this day would not have come to fruition. I would also like to thank my step-dad Walter Weidner for his support and encouragement. I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Erin Richard, she is one of the most patient, understanding, and intelligent people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Her commitment to ensuring her students’ success has no bounds; within 24 hours of bringing her son into this world she was sending me emails about my dissertation! There are no words for that type of dedication, just wow! I would also like to thank the entire FIT faculty. Even with all this love and support, the journey through graduate school is not without its challenges. There are times of being overwhelmed, self-doubt, and pesky glass half-empty mindsets. These are the times that would have been insurmountable without a peer support group. I would like to thank Ron Martin (the next MFG) for his guidance and encouragement even when I wanted to give up the most. His unfaltering belief in me and great sense of humor challenge me to live up to my potential every day! I would like to thank Chumley for his friendship and providing me with a “place to escape” from time to time. I would like to thank Dr. Erin Moeser-Whittle for her enduring friendship and endless supply of squeaky frog and goat videos! I want to thank Dr. Elizabeth Culhane and Dr. Elizabeth Steinhauser who started this journey with me and provided their friendship through stressful times. Finally I want to thank all of my friends who have been a part of my life in one way or another, without them I may have reached my destination but I would have missed out on the journey! Thank you all for the great adventure! vi Dedication I would like to dedicate my dissertation to my loving mom, Cindy Weidner. She has been, and continues to be, my source of unconditional inspiration and support. vii AFFECTIVE CONVERGENCE IN TEAMS 1 Individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are