Contrasting Correlates of Group Size

and one theoretical. The practical concern has been to determine what size working group is optimum in terms of efficiency, productivity, stability or satisfaction, for a given type of task. The theoretical concern has been to determine what kinds of variables differentiate the smaller group from the larger, in terms of the nature of the interaction, the structure of relationships, and the types of stress that may arise. Small group literature has little to say regarding optimum size, due largely to the fact that few studies have been carried out which attempt to cover a wide range of different sizes. In general experimenters have restricted themselves to showing the superiority of some one size over another. The paucity of studies is in sharp contrast to the complexity of the problem, however, since one must determine not only what is optimum in terms of each different