Week 5
Tutorial 4 – Mood, emotion and affect in group performance.
Materials:
Timing:
Crossword puzzles; Role-playing cards
Classroom instruction and distribution (puzzles, answer sheets and roles) = 15 mins
Actual exercise = 15 mins
Calculate exercise results in groups and record publicly = 10 mins
Class discussion of results and emotional impact of roles on each other and on group
performance = 10 mins
Debriefing questions = 30 mins. These are approximate times only.
 Purpose
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To introduce student to the effects of positive affect and negative affect, mood/or emotion on group
performance through contagion
To create a classroom atmosphere that encourages students to become active in the learning process through
learning by doing approach.
 Steps
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The instructor selects a crossword puzzle of medium difficulty. Puzzles must be complex enough to prevent
completion within the allotted time, yet uncomplicated enough to permit groups to experience collective
efficacy.
Instructor enlarges crossword puzzles and clue sheets so that four people can simultaneously see the format.
Reproductions should be colour-coded to represent 4 manipulated conditions and to accommodate the number
of groups in each condition. Example: a class of 20 students would have 5 groups of four students – two in each
condition. Therefore instructors would prepare 5 sets of team roles consisting of four colours (two each
yellow, blue, white and pink for example).
The instructor prepares role cards for each condition. Again cards are colour-coded to match each team
condition (see Appendix 1). Note: that we have created an observer role-playing card for students who decline
to role play or for extra students or when there is an uneven number of students.
Instructor prepares an enlarged copy showing the completed crossword puzzle (to show using the document
camera). Puzzle books provide answer keys, which instructors can enlarge and or scan as a powerpoint. See
Appendix 2 for specific instructions and timing when running this exercise.
It is suggested that instructors randomly select group members to avoid interferences of preconceived notions
that may occur within existing groups (such as close friends may detect the falsity of any role another may be
playing during the exercise). Instructors should enquire as to which students have done or currently do
crossword puzzles on a regular basis. It is suggested that these students who are experienced puzzle solvers are
assigned to the role of free-rider.
Avid puzzle solvers can also be assigned to observer roles in order to control their expertise as an exercise
confound.
It is often useful to purposefully assign individuals to manipulated roles.
For example, assigning extroverts to positive and negative affect roles is likely to enhance the
experience for all team members. Students high in need for affiliation may find playing negative roles
very difficult while people high in need for power may find it relatively simpler to dominate group
processes, regardless of whether they play a negative or positive role.
Give each group one puzzle and one clue sheet, colour-coded to match the groups’ experimental condition.
Place puzzles and clue sheets face down in the centre of each group’s work area and announce that students are
expected to correctly answer as many puzzle clues as possible in the 15 minute exercise time from the time the
exercise commences.
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Inform students you will now provide each of them with a role card that they are NOT TO SHARE. Rather they
“get into” their roles in preparation to “act out” their designated roles as they work on the group task.
At the end of the allotted time for the exercise, have students count and record the number of correct and
incorrect puzzle answers. We use both calculations to illustrate quantity and quality outcomes on the task.
Record group calculations within each condition (refer to Appendix 3). After recording each group’s statistical
report, average results (assuming there are two or more groups in a given condition) and then invite students to
discuss, among themselves, any patterns and or surprising results. Allow students 10 minutes for this discussion.
Then have students share insights with the class followed by the debriefing questions.
Debrief…
Do you see any patterns in numerical results? What might explain these outcomes?
 The class calculations generally result in a pattern (relative to neutral groups) in which freeriding conditions minimally impact outcomes, while positive groups perform significantly better
on the task, but only half as great as the decrease in outcomes of groups in negative conditions
(see sample calculations in Appendices 3 and 4). Research on positive and negative mood
emotion and affect supports these results.
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For each group condition ask the following:
o Those of you in the _______ group. How did you feel as you were doing the task? Was there
any conflict? How did you feel about (X person’s role)? Did their behaviours affect your
performance? How so? Did you feel any different at the end of the task than you did at the
beginning? Would you volunteer to work with this group on another task?
Common responses of students in positive group conditions include being more engaged in the task,
having fun, being creative (sometimes even silly), making new friends, and feeling happy. Job
satisfaction, relational needs and creativity immediately come to mind as relevant points depending on
student disclosures.
Common responses of students in negative group conditions include being less engaged in the task with
less concentration as their concern for avoiding conflict increased. These students also beingup their
anger with the person playing the negative role and their desire to join groups they perceived to be
enjoying the exercise (ie having fun). This revelation may instigate discussions concerning turnover,
absenteeism or transfers.
Common responses of students in free-riding group conditions include ignoring the free-rider while
vowing not to work with that person again, assuming the free-rider did not contribute because they did
not know anything and expressing a hope that the free ride was not being paid as much. In addition to
topics already mentioned, attribution theory (judging), projection and perceived inequities come to
mind as relevant topics for discussion.
Common responses of students in neutral groups range from “I just did the task”, to “it was ok”, “no big
deal” to “why are we doing this anyway?” Here we often elucidate on motivational outcomes such as
compliance vs commitment, intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation and task importance in job design. Because
students see and hear other student responses, they are able to compare and contrast the differences
in motivational responses to the task across the different groups.
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What if any of these results surprise you? Why?
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This question brings out preconceived notions about relational influences on human behaviour. For
example, students are often amazed to see the strength of negativity on task outcomes. Students do
not realise that such seemingly casual remarks as “this task is stupid” or repeated negative comments
(about the task or management) (here represented by the puzzle and the instructor) can have a
detrimental effect on work outcomes through emotional contagion. Nor do students realise their own
vulnerability to emotive behaviours.
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Depending on discussion direction, instructors can also introduce the importance of modelling, stress and job
satisfaction in organisations, not to mention such leadership topics as EI (although the theory has not been
covered in the Unit as yet). Other questions that can be posed:
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Can you tell me which role X was playing? Or what condition your group was in? Instructors can relate
responses to varying OB concepts. For example, what happens when managers assign individuals to
positions that require than to act in ways in which they are uncomfortable (Person-job fit)?
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Imagine that you are the manager and you have one of the individuals in your work unit. How are you
going to control the affective tone of your work unit in each condition? This question forces students to
think in terms of corrective actions and reinforcement theory. When is it proper to reward and or
punish? What are the risks of punishment? Who should be rewarded – groups or individuals? Under
what circumstances? Are rewards contingent on desired performance or are rewards encouraging
undesirable behaviours? What is the trade-off? (short-term vs long-term results; quality vs quantity?)
Finally,…
What other elements of OB do you see in this exercise? What issues do you see as being important in a
work situation?
Source: Adapted from Chavez, CI & Mendez, MJ, 2012, Mood, emotion and affect in group performance: an experiential
exercise, Organisational Management Journal, vol. 5. Issue 3. pp. 153 – 166.
Appendix 1:
Role cards
Neutral-role playing card
Free-rider playing card
Positive-affect playing card
Negative-affect playing card
Observer role-playing card