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There Is No Escaping Dynamics: Recurrence Quantification of Temporally Extended Interactions in Newly Formed Teams

Schelin, Michelle LU (2025) PSYP01 20251
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Contemporary organizations expect newly formed teams to perform from the outset under strict time and task constraints. While Wheelan’s (1994a; 2005) Integrated Model of Group Development (IMGD) frames team development as a progression through distinct stages, few studies have examined whether such assumptions are reflected in the temporal structure of early interaction. Drawing on a dynamic systems perspective, this study investigated whether early behavior patterns exhibit structured, non-linear dynamics, and how these patterns relate to performance. 30 newly formed teams completed escape room simulations in a controlled laboratory setting; from these, the four highest and four lowest performing teams were selected for analysis. Verbal... (More)
Contemporary organizations expect newly formed teams to perform from the outset under strict time and task constraints. While Wheelan’s (1994a; 2005) Integrated Model of Group Development (IMGD) frames team development as a progression through distinct stages, few studies have examined whether such assumptions are reflected in the temporal structure of early interaction. Drawing on a dynamic systems perspective, this study investigated whether early behavior patterns exhibit structured, non-linear dynamics, and how these patterns relate to performance. 30 newly formed teams completed escape room simulations in a controlled laboratory setting; from these, the four highest and four lowest performing teams were selected for analysis. Verbal statements were transcribed and coded using the Group Development Observation System (GDOS; Wheelan
1994b), which categorizes utterances into seven team behaviors associated with the different stages of group development: Dependency, Counterdependency, Fight, Flight, Pairing, Counterpairing and Work. Time-ordered categorical sequences were analyzed with Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) and chromatic recurrence plots were applied to explore intra-/inter-team patterns. Work dominated across all teams, and group-mean profiles were directionally consistent with the IMGD (more Work, less Flight among higher performers). However, neither GDOS distributions nor RQA metrics yielded a unique performance signature; temporal trajectories varied within and between teams. This study is among the few to quantify temporally extended interaction patterns in newly
formed teams using RQA. Implications for IMGD and time-sensitive, recurrence-based analyses are discussed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Schelin, Michelle LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYP01 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Group development, team dynamics, dynamic systems, recurrence quantification analysis, team performance
language
English
id
9212349
date added to LUP
2025-09-16 16:05:03
date last changed
2025-09-16 16:05:03
@misc{9212349,
  abstract     = {{Contemporary organizations expect newly formed teams to perform from the outset under strict time and task constraints. While Wheelan’s (1994a; 2005) Integrated Model of Group Development (IMGD) frames team development as a progression through distinct stages, few studies have examined whether such assumptions are reflected in the temporal structure of early interaction. Drawing on a dynamic systems perspective, this study investigated whether early behavior patterns exhibit structured, non-linear dynamics, and how these patterns relate to performance. 30 newly formed teams completed escape room simulations in a controlled laboratory setting; from these, the four highest and four lowest performing teams were selected for analysis. Verbal statements were transcribed and coded using the Group Development Observation System (GDOS; Wheelan
1994b), which categorizes utterances into seven team behaviors associated with the different stages of group development: Dependency, Counterdependency, Fight, Flight, Pairing, Counterpairing and Work. Time-ordered categorical sequences were analyzed with Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) and chromatic recurrence plots were applied to explore intra-/inter-team patterns. Work dominated across all teams, and group-mean profiles were directionally consistent with the IMGD (more Work, less Flight among higher performers). However, neither GDOS distributions nor RQA metrics yielded a unique performance signature; temporal trajectories varied within and between teams. This study is among the few to quantify temporally extended interaction patterns in newly
formed teams using RQA. Implications for IMGD and time-sensitive, recurrence-based analyses are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Schelin, Michelle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{There Is No Escaping Dynamics: Recurrence Quantification of Temporally Extended Interactions in Newly Formed Teams}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}