Direct and indirect effects of group discussion on consensus

Figures & data

Table 1. Results for Issue Set 1

Issues	F	p	ICC
Discussed issues
a. People on welfare are lazy and should just get a job like the rest of us.	1.57	.069	.36
b. Women never invite sexual harassment.	2.63	.001	.62
c. Dogs are much better pets than cats.	1.55	.073	.36
d. The national health problem of HIV should be discussed in schools starting in kindergarten.	1.96	.013	.49
e. There should be mandatory marriage counseling before divorce is granted.	2.04	.009	.51
f. Women in combat should have to take birth control pills.	2.59	.001	.61
Related items
g. It is a good idea to automatically charge students a fee each year for an activities pass so they can get into sporting events.	1.31	.190	.24
h. The bars in Laramie do not enforce underage drinking laws.	1.45	.111	.31
i. Research on the cloning of humans is a waste of time.	0.86	.665	−.16
j. Television/film companies should prohibit cartoon violence.	1.22	.257	.18
k. The death penalty should be abolished in Wyoming.	1.06	.419	.05
l. The government is withholding information from the public on extra‐terrestrial life forms.	1.86	.022	.46
m. Affirmative action should be abolished.	1.70	.043	.41
n. UW should close a full week before Thanksgiving break.	1.69	.044	.41
o. Professors should not be allowed to give students any homework or tests the week before finals.	0.75	.807	−.34
p. UW students should get in free to athletic events.	1.28	.210	.22
q. Pornography on the Internet needs to be completely banned.	1.44	.119	.30
r. Skateboarding should be banned from university grounds.	1.09	.382	.08
Unrelated items
s. Men and women should share the expense of birth control	1.29	.202	.22
t. People do not choose to be homosexual.	1.25	.227	.20
u. All campus jobs should be open to all students regardless of financial need	1.33	.171	.25
v. Dining centers should offer more choices in hot meals for vegetarians	1.15	.319	.13
w. UW needs more racial diversity on its campus.	0.88	.645	−.14
x. There should be more computer labs on campus.	1.23	.245	.19
y. Scientists really have a cure for AIDS and are not telling us.	0.88	.642	−.14
z. Cloning another human being is completely unethical	0.76	.793	−.32
aa. Abortion ends the life of a human being	1.12	.349	.10
bb. The government should crack down on illegal immigrants in Wyoming.	1.50	.092	.33
cc. Money is the answer to all problems.	0.73	.831	−.38
dd. Anti‐Terrorism efforts should be the top priority in the U.S.	0.83	.704	−.20

Table 2. Results for Issue Set 2

Issues	F	p	ICC
Discussed issues
g. It is a good idea to automatically charge students a fee each year for an activities pass so they can get into sporting events.	1.35	.165	.26
l. The government is withholding information from the public on extra‐terrestrial life forms.	2.54	.001	.61
x. There should be more computer labs on campus.	6.04	.000	.83
o. Professors should not be allowed to give students any homework or tests the week before finals.	1.69	.044	.41
z. Cloning another human being is completely unethical	1.71	.041	.41
cc. Money is the answer to all problems.	1.32	.182	.24
Related items
h. The bars in Laramie do not enforce underage drinking laws	1.07	.402	.07
a. People on welfare are lazy and should just get a job like the rest of us.	0.86	.660	−.16
i. Research on the cloning of humans is a waste of time	1.26	.225	.21
j. Television/film companies should prohibit cartoon violence.	0.69	.860	−.44
k. The death penalty should be abolished in Wyoming.	1.26	.223	.21
b. Women never invite sexual harassment.	0.99	.495	0
d. The national health problem of HIV should be discussed in schools starting in kindergarten.	0.97	.512	−.02
m. Affirmative action should be abolished.	1.32	.186	.24
bb. The government should crack down on illegal immigrants in Wyoming.	1.17	.297	.15
v. Dining centers should offer more choices in hot meals for vegetarians	2.24	.005	.55
w. UW needs more racial diversity on its campus.	1.06	.420	.05
n. UW should close a full week before Thanksgiving break.	1.11	.360	.10
c. Dogs are much better pets than cats.	1.16	.312	.14
p. UW students should get in free to athletic events.	1.84	.026	.46
y. Scientists really have a cure for AIDS and are not telling us.	1.53	.087	.35
aa. Abortion ends the life of a human being	1.73	.040	.42
Unrelated items
s. Men and women should share the expense of birth control	1.19	.282	.16
t. People do not choose to be homosexual.	0.69	.863	−.45
u. All campus jobs should be open to all students regardless of financial need	1.01	.469	.01
r. Skateboarding should be banned from university grounds.	1.27	.213	.21
q. Pornography on the Internet needs to be completely banned.	1.20	.275	.16
e. There should be mandatory marriage counseling before divorce is granted.	1.26	.222	.21
f. Women in combat should have to take birth control pills.	1.28	.208	.22
dd. Anti‐Terrorism efforts should be the top priority in the U.S.	0.93	.577	−.08

Figure 1 Discussed, related, and unrelated issues in multidimensional space.

Table 3. Discussed, related, and unrelated items in Replication 1

Discussed item	Related items
A	G, H, I, J
B	L, M, D, K
C	N, O, P
D	B, L, M, K
E	Q
F	R
Unrelated itemsS, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, AA, BB, CC, DD

Table 4. Discussed, related, and unrelated items in Replication 2

Discussed item	Related items
G	H, A, I, J
L	B, M, D, K
X	V, W, BB
O	P, C, N
Z	AA
CC	Y
Unrelated itemsS, T, U, R, Q, E, F, DD