Conflict-Mediated Group Size Regulation: A Theory of Supraoptimal and Suboptimal Group Size

Observed group sizes rarely match the size that would maximize what each member gets from belonging.

Observed group sizes rarely match the size that would maximize what each member gets from belonging. We propose a two-part theory in which group size is regulated by two related conflicts: insider-outsider conflict over admission, and within-group conflict as crowding,…