Observe a meeting or discussion group. Find out the pattern of contributions and the direction of communication in the group. Do this as follows:

a b

Make a diagram of the places in which the group’s members sit at the table.

Use a watch with a second hand (or keep counting up to fve) and every fve seconds see who is saying something to whom. Indicate with an arrow who is speaking to whom. If a person says something more general to the group as a whole, mark this with a dash.

c Afterwards, use the dashes and arrows to work out what pattern the communication has followed. Find out whether this corresponds with the pattern identifed by Bales, as defned in subsection 3.7.1. Do the dominant group members pass the ball to each other?