Editorial: The Information Processing Approach as a Perspective for Groups Research

The importance of the information processing approach in groups research may best be understood in the context of the possible decline in groups research.In his 1974 analysis of the fate of groups research in social psychology, Steiner concluded that its long decline would soon be followed by a resurgence.He stated:. . .I am compelled to predict that there's a new day acoming.I make this fearless forecast knowing that you can't expect that day to arrive for a few more years.And if it doesn't come, you will have forgotten I ever mentioned it.(Steiner, 1974, pp.105-106) Neither of these predictions came true.Groups research did not experience a resurgence 8 to 10 years later as Steiner believed, nor did the scientific community forget his prediction.Steiner himself raised the issue again several years later, noting with disappointment that the 'new day' had not come (Steiner, 1983(Steiner, , 1986)).Other articles dealing with the destiny of groups research have been published since, and many attempts have been made to analyze its sad decline and hopes for a renewal (cf., Abrams & Hogg, 1998).We will briefly outline this discussion before turning to the topic of this special issue, Information Processing in Groups.