Briefly explain the differences between stage models and process models of group development.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Progressive stage modelspropose stages that are sequential, with each stage building successively on accomplishments in prior stages. Cyclical models suggest that groups may move back and forth in group processes in a cyclical rather than linear manner. Most small group scholars recognize that groups do not always progress in a linear fashion but find progressive models to be helpful when thinking about group development. Researchers who focus on the stages of group development have reached no consensus as to how many stages there are, the order in which they appear, or the nature of those stages. The chief alternative is process models, which identify what goes on in groups and how those processes affect group members and their interactions. The advantage of process analysis is that it focuses on the interactions among group members rather than creating norms for development