A STOCHASTIC ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT IN SELF-ANALYTIC GROUPS

The purpose of this research was to examine patterns of information-processing over time in self-analytic groups. The communication in two groups was categorized by means of the Systems Information Processing Analysis (SIPA) category system. Messages were coded on four dimensions of information-processing: (1) source of information, (2) time orientation, (3) evolution of information, and (4) reduction of equivocality. The sequence of coded messages was then compared with a first-order Markov chain model. The results indicate the communication data from the groups are first-order; the groups are nonhomogeneous; stereotypy (predictability of patterns) is low to moderately high across the four dimensions; patterns in the evolution of information dimension are stationary over time. Patterns in the three other SIPA dimensions are nonstationary (time dependent) and suggest nonlinear changes. The information-processing patterns in the groups indicate that most information was spontaneously generated within the groups; the predominate time orientation was “present”; the form of message generally was either neutral opinion or new information; and moderate to moderately high uncertainty existed over time.