Course(s) Used:

• Team and Small Group Communication

Goals and Objectives:

• Students understand the common constraints on group decision making.
• Students are able to articulate how these satisficing and groupthink are influenced by these constraints.

Rationale:

Students need to be able to articulate when and why groups choose sub-optimal decision-making strategies.

Materials Needed

Materials:

• None

Technology:

• Classroom computer and projector

Outline of the Lesson

1. Review of previous session's content
2. Many decisions about participation and leadership in groups are made before anyone says anything.
3. Placement is also associated with how much we talk
   1. Initiating messages is associated with more central placement in a group
   2. Receiving messages is associated with more visible placement in a group
4. Placement predicts leader emergence¹²
   1. Much of turn regulation is managed through eye contact³
   2. Some positions make eye contact more likely or more difficult
   3. We tend to look at the people that we expect to speak next
   4. We tend to look at people when listening, and less when talking
5. Lesson closing

Variations and Accommodations

Follow guidance from local accommodation authorities.