A comparison of distributional and sequential structure in cooperative and competitive group discussions

This study examined the sequential and distributional structures emerging in cooperative and competitive group discussions in an effort to determine whether group motivations or time of preparation accounted for earlier findings reported by Gouran and Baird. Both explanations received support. Analyses of obtained data suggested that the amount of preparation time allowed a group affects the overall degree of interaction structure, while the group members’ motivations determine specific structural patterns.