Observational Research in Face-to-Face Small Groupwork: Capturing Affect as Socio- Dynamic Interpersonal Phenomena

Interpersonal affect in face-to-face small groupwork, though pervasive in
university and work environments, is rarely examined as the fine-grained
sequential interactions in which it manifests. This review synthesized 21
recent studies in tertiary collaborative learning and organizational research
that have used observation methods to investigate affect in face-to-face
small groupwork. The analysis focused on examining the extent to which
observational studies captured affect as social (interactive) and dynamic
(temporally unfolding). Findings showed that observational methods
elicit information about affect dynamics in groupwork that is unique and
complementary to other methods. Key affect constructs, behavioral
operationalizations, and analytical tools used to capture affect are discussed.