Heiderian balance as a group phenomenon
Abstract
Applied F. Heider's (1958) proposition about intrapersonal states of balance between attraction and perceived agreement to dyads and larger groups. Cluster and chi-square analyses are made of the data from the author's (1961) study of 17 previously unacquainted college students who lived together for the 4 mo of the experiment. This population divided into 1 balanced and 1 imbalanced subgroup. The findings suggest that the commonly reported balance within a population may be attributable to a single subgroup and that subgroup membership and norm formation can outweigh preferences for balance. (5 ref)