Interaction process analysis
The interaction process analysis (IPA) is an instrument developed in the middle of the 20th century by Robert Freed Bales for the observation of interaction processes in small social groups.
The IPA was first introduced by Bales in his 1950 published book Interaction Process Analysis , based on long-term studies . The theoretically well-founded system of categories, with which a large number of interaction processes can be recorded systematically and simultaneously , has found international recognition in small group research and has been widely used and further developed. In the 1970s, Bales himself developed a three-dimensional analysis model in which, in addition to the two IPA dimensions “task orientation” and “socio-emotional orientation”, the degree of influence of group participants is taken into account as an additional dimension. This further developed model formed the basic structure of his theoretically and instrumentally supplemented and empirically substantiated Symlog model, which was presented in 1979.
Brief description
Two bipolar dimensions are distinguished in IPA:
- instrumental / task-oriented interactions (questions - answers)
- socio-emotional interactions (positive - negative)
3 problem areas are assigned to each of these two dimensions:
| Instrumental / task-oriented | Socio-emotional |
| Orientation - evaluation - control | Decision - overcoming tension - integration |
There are 12 categories with which the interaction behavior of the group participants is signed:
| Socio-emotional : positive | 1. Show solidarity |
| 2. Shows tension reduction | |
| 3. Agree | |
| Instrumental : Answers / attempted solutions | 4. Make suggestions |
| 5. Conveys opinion | |
| 6. Conveys information | |
| Instrumental : questions | 7. Asks for guidance |
| 8. Asks for opinion | |
| 9. Asks for suggestions | |
| Socio-emotional : negative | 10. Disagree / Disagree |
| 11. Shows tension | |
| 12. Shows hostility / antagonism |
The data obtained can be evaluated in many ways . So z. B. Profiles are developed both for the interaction behavior of an individual group member and for the relationships between group members. Particularly frequent or rare actions can be identified and also analyzed as action sequences in connection with previous and subsequent actions.
literature
- Robert F. Bales: Interaction Process Analysis. A Model for the Study of Small Groups . University of Chicago Press, Reprint Ed. 1976. ISBN 978-0-226-03618-2
- Robert F. Bales: Social Interaction Systems. Theory and Measurement . Transaction Publisher, New Brunswick / New Jersey 1999. ISBN 978-0-7658-0872-1
- Robert F. Bales: The Interaction Process Analysis: An Observational Technique for Examining Small Groups . In: René König (Ed.): Observation and Experiment in Social Research , Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne, 8th edition 1975, pp. 148–167. ISBN 3-462-00226-0