Ciani, Alessia (2025) Group Composition and Confidence in Deliberative Group Discussions: The Moderating Role of Gender. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
In citizen assemblies, where equal participation is a central goal, confidence can play a role in who speaks and who remains silent. This study explores how group composition affects individuals’ confidence to contribute in small, deliberative group discussions, with gender as a moderating factor. Participants (N = 36), mostly university students, took part in citizen-assembly style discussions on university budget cuts. Each participant took part in both a homogeneous (same-gender) and a heterogeneous (mixed-gender) discussion and reported their confidence after each discussion. Results revealed no statistically significant difference in confidence between homogeneous and heterogeneous groups, nor a significant interaction between gender and group composition. However, trends suggested that women tended to report higher confidence in all-female groups compared to mixed gender groups, while men’s confidence remained stable across conditions. These findings indicate that all-female groups may foster greater confidence among women, but further research is needed to draw firm conclusions. As the study had a small sample size and was exploratory in nature, the results should be interpreted with caution. Keywords: confidence, gender differences, citizen assemblies, deliberation, group composition, group discussion, participation
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Supervisor name: | Eichholtzer, A.C. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route/Track: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jul 2025 07:16 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jul 2025 07:16 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5646 |
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