Study groups: The Optimum size

  

Date Posted: 10/27/2011 11:44:54 AM

Posted By: walteym  Membership Level: Gold  Total Points: 1895

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The optimal group size usually depends on the type of group in question. While a workgroup or a problem solving group might have a large number of members, the recommended number of members of a study group is five. The reasons for this are:
-A group is comprised of two or more people. So technically, one person cannot form a group by himeself or herself.
-A group that is comprised of two members has too few members and will not be efficient in achieving the set objectives.
-For three members, two of the members will most likely bond better with each other and will inevitably make the third member feel out of place thus hindering effective group discussions.
-For groups comprised of four members, the even number will be a disadvantage where the votes for a particular decision are split in the middle. In such a case, a deadlock arises and could curtail development.
The optimum number of members in a group is thus five; not too small, not too large and with the advantage of an odd figure to avoid deadlocks. Groups with the number of members more than five are not recommended as they suffer from the following disadvantages:
1. Members feel that the group is too large and are not able to participate as often as they would like. This causes dissatisfaction and kills morale.
2. There is a tendency for sub groups to form which may carry outside conversations that annoy the rest of the group and distract the group from progress.
3. Cohesion tends to be weaker and morale tends to be lower in larger groups compared to relatively smaller groups.

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