Carron, Widmeyer, and Brawley (1985) proposed
that a group’s level of cohesiveness could
be assessed through individual members’ perceptions.
Consistent with this suggestion, they
advanced five assumptions: (a) the group has
observable properties, (b) individuals are socialized
and integrated into the group and develop
beliefs about the group, (c) individuals’ beliefs
are based on the information gathered about the
group, (d) individuals’ beliefs are reflections of
the common values throughout the group, and
(e) individuals’ perceptions of the cohesiveness
of their group can be assessed through paper
and pencil questionnaires.