In a longitudinal field experiment, 42 groups were assembled on the factors of individual ability and attitude similarity resulting in a 2 x 2 crossed ANOVA designed. These groups then worked on six projects which spanned a three month time period. For each project, measures of group performance and group cohesion were taken. Analyses showed that high ability groups exhibited the best performance whereas attitudinally similar groups expressed the greatest cohesiveness. In addition, correlational data suggest that the affect of attitude similarity on cohesion is not immediate, but develops overtime; and that across the six projects, performance can be both positively and negatively related to cohesion. (Author)
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Terborg et al. (1976) studied this question.
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