Engagement is one of the ways that cohesion can be measured within an online community. The more behavioral, social, and cognitive engagement there is, the more cohesion there is within the group as well. Engagement can also be thought of as a requirement for cohesion, therefore measuring this is a good indicator of how cohesive a group is/can be.

Engagement Impact on Group Cohesion

Collective efficacy is the shared belief that the group as a whole is able to perform the task. The greater the collective efficacy is the greater the group cohesion is. Additionally, when group cohesion is also high, this increases the belief system that the group has the capacity to complete the task (i.e. collective efficacy).

Collective Efficacy impact on Group Cohesion

Teamwork Orientation assesses to what degree a person values team work vs. individual work. Those who have a higher teamwork orientation tend to be more satisfied to work in teams and are more cooperative when working with others.

When teamwork orientation is high, cohesion is also likely to increase because of the increase in collaboration and cooperation amongst the group members

Teamwork Orientation Impact on Group Cohesion

Collective Task Value involves an individual's perception of the overall group's value of the task. The more similar these perceptions align with one another, the higher the group cohesion is. 

Collective Task Value Impact on Group Cohesion

With greater communication amongst those within the group, collective effort also increases, further enhancing the group cohesion. More specifically, when the interactions include a positive attitude relative to the task, group cohesion is increased.

Social Interaction Impact on Group Cohesion

Substantiating factors are elements that impact group cohesion and the development of it. Main factor examples include:
- social interaction
- linguistic style matching
- gaming
- teamwork orientation
- collective efficacy
- social shared regulated learning
- collective task value
- engagement

New York University

Group cohesion is the degree to which the individuals within the group identify with the group identity/social identity and how individuals within the group perceive others' identities and goals to be similar to the groups'. The greater the group cohesion, the greater likelihood the individuals within it have a higher commitment to the tasks/goals of the group and can improve group performance.

Group cohesion

Zamecnik, A., Villa-Torrano, C., Kovanović, V., Grossmann, G., Joksimović, S., Dimitriadis, Y., & Pardo, A. (2022). The cohesion of small groups in technology-mediated learning environments: A systematic literature review. Educational Research Review, 35, 100427.

The cohesion of small groups in technology-mediated learning environments: A systematic literature review

Influencing factors are outcomes that are affected by group cohesion and the strength of it. Examples indluce:
- satisfaction
- leadership
- engagement
- communication

Influencing Factors of Group Cohesion

- task cohesion
- social cohesion
- belongingness
- group pride
- morale

Subdimensions of group cohesion

Major substantiating factors for Group Cohesion

Minor factor examples include:
- shared identity
- group similarity
- communication quality
- cohesion-based feedback
- mastery goals
- roles
- metacognitive support
- participation

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