Gender Differences in Questions Asked During Small Decision-Making Group Discussions

Abstract

Sixty minutes each of group discussions from 18 four- to seven-member decision-making groups were audiotaped and transcribed for analysis. Results indicated that questions constituted 15.6% of total turns by group members. Probes were the most frequently occurring question type (89.2%). There was a significant gender difference in only one of the five question types: Female group members asked significantly more probing questions than did their male counterparts. Implications of these findings are discussed.