Group cohesion

Psychological research on cohesion stems from contributions in the 1940s and 1950s by Festinger and his colleagues, who defined cohesion as a "field of forces" acting on individuals to remain in the group. In the 1950s, critics of this definition noted that different cohesion measures often failed to intercorrelate. By the mid-1960s, A. J. Lott and B. E. Lott (1965) conceptualized cohesion as interpersonal attraction because researchers mainly focused on this "force." Multidimensional models of cohesion predominated in the 1980s and 1990s, the debate now focused on defining those dimensions. In addition to A. V. Carron's (1988) hierarchical model, several bidimensional models are summarized, including task and social cohesion, vertical and horizontal cohesion, belongingness and morale, and personal versus social attraction. Cohesion will continue to be a vital construct in research on groups and organizations into the 21st century, with important challenges to be addressed

Английский

Group dynamics. – 2000. – Vol. 4, № 1. – P. 7–26.