Role Differentiation and the Legitimation of Task Activity

Data are presented to test two hypotheses about the effects of the legitimation of extensive task activity on the relationship between inequality of participation in task activity and role differentiation (both inter-personal and intrapersonal). In support of both hypotheses it was found that: (1) Inequality of participation in task activities leads to the emergence of separate specialized task and social-emotional roles in the low legitimation of task activity condition, but not in the high legitimation condition. (2) High task participation on the part of the task leader leads to a reduction of the amount of socialemotional activity on his part in the low legitimation of task activity condition, but not in the high legitimation condition.