Information similarity as a moderator of the effect of gender on participation in small groups: A multilevel analysis

This study examined if information similarity, treated as a group-level phenomenon, moderates the effect of gender on participation and related perceptions (e.g., satisfaction) in small groups. Participants responded privately to a psychological profile task, writing their impressions of the person described in it, and then interacted in three-person groups to reach a consensus concerning the target's characteristics. The written profiles were evaluated/or their similarity within groups. Discussions were coded for substantive (task-related) and nonsubstantive contributions. Results of the multilevel analysis revealed that substantive participation was affected by the interaction of one's gender with that of his or her partners in different ways at high and low levels of information similarity. The effect of gender on the perception variables was also moderated by information similarity. Discussion addresses a dual-process approach to the study of participation.