Joseph E. McGrath was a social psychologist, known for his work on small groups, time, stress, and research methods and for his excellence in mentoring graduate students.

Biography

Joseph E. McGrath was born in DuBois

DuBois, Pennsylvania

DuBois is a city in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the principal city in the DuBois, Pa Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, USA, on July 17, 1927, the last child of six. He served the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1946. He received a B.S. and an M.A. in Psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

 at the University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

 in 1950 and 1951, respectively.

He married Marion Freitag in 1952. They had four children: Robert (b. 1952), William (b. 1953), James (b. 1958), and Janet (b. 1959). In 1955 McGrath completed a Ph.D. in Social Psychology

Social psychology

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...

 at the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 with thesis adviser Theodore M. Newcomb. Upon graduation, McGrath became Research Scientist & Project Director of Psychological Research Associates in Arlington Virginia for two years, and then Vice President of Human Sciences Research, Inc. in McLean Virginia for three years. Wishing to return to basic research and academia, in 1960 McGrath accepted a visiting position in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois as Research Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Group Effectiveness Laboratory. In 1962 he received a tenure track appointment there as Assistant Professor. He was tenured as an Associate Professor in 1964 and promoted to Full Professor in 1966. McGrath served as Head of the Psychology Department for five years, from 1971 to 1976. He became a Professor Emeritus in 1997 and remained active in his research and collaborations until his death in 2007.

Teaching

McGrath taught several courses popular among Ph.D. students at the University of Illinois. These included the introductory course, Research Methods in Social Psychology, taken by generations of graduate students; an introductory course to Research Topics in Social Psychology; a recurring seminar on Small Groups; a Professional Problems seminar in which students learned to write grant proposals, develop career strategies, review papers for journals, respond to reviews, and collaborate; a Post Positivism seminar exploring the underlying assumptions of "normal" science and alternative assumptions, values, and methods; and a seminar dedicated to Feminist Scholarship in Social Psychology.

McGrath was particularly successful as a mentor and adviser to graduate students. McGrath mentored dozens of students and young scholars throughout his career, including Richard Hackman, David Brinberg, Janice Kelly, David Harrison, Andrea Hollingshead, Deborah Gruenfeld, Holly Arrow, Linda Argote, Kathleen O'Connor, Kelly Henry, Jennifer Berdahl, William Altermatt, and Franziska Tschan. McGrath was unusually generous with his time and collaborations with students, who enjoyed not only his extensive knowledge of the field and incisive intellect but the way in which he respected them as equals and encouraged their own interests and ideas.

McGrath loved to write what he called "doggerel" and composed the following titled "Growing From Advisor Into Mentor":


In early years I thought my job

Was keeping standards high

'Twas rigor that I sought to teach

With criticism wry


But later on I learned anew

The truth of feedback's fate:

That many barrels of vinegar

Does not one thought create


That snips of sugar, sagely used

Can motivate anew

That praise, like yeast, can leaven

The intellectual brew


I also learned that students

(Like our kids, by now all grown)

Had lives to live, and dreams to dream

Relationships to hone


That they were folks who needed

Their autonomy to claim

That "study" was a part of life

But not the whole damn game


But most of all I came to see

That what they most required

Was the surge of capability

That self-confidence inspired.


So what I best could do for them

Was not to scorn nor flatter

But rather to convince them that

Their own ideas matter.

Service to the profession

• President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI; Division 9 of the American Psychological Association), 1985–1986.
• Executive Council (1979–1982) and Secretary-Treasurer (1980–83) of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP).
• Editor, Journal of Social Issues, 1977-1983.
• Co-Editor for North America, Time and Society, 1991–1997.
• Consulting Editor (Masthead): Journal of Applied Psychology (1970–1975) and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes Section (1980–2007).
• Editorial Advisory Board: Journal of Social Issues (1983–1992); Applied Social Psychology Annual (1986–1990); American Behavioral Scientist (1989–2007); Small Group Research (1992–2007); and Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice.

Books

• McGrath, J. E. (1964). Social Psychology: A Brief Introduction. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• McGrath, J. E., & Altman, I. (1966). Small Group Research: A Synthesis and Critique of the Field. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• Runkel, P. J. & McGrath, J. E. (1972). Research on Human Behavior: A Systematic Guide. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• McGrath, J. E. Martin, J., & Kulka, R. A. (1982). Judgment Calls in Research. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.
• McGrath, J. E. (1984). Groups: Interaction and Performance. Inglewood, N. J.: Prentice Hall, Inc.
• Brinberg, D. & McGrath, J. E. (1985). Validity and the Research Process. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publishing Co.
• McGrath, J. E. & Kelly, J. R. (1986). Time and Human Interaction: Toward a Social Psychology of Time. New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.
• Kelly, J. R. & McGrath, J. E. (1988). On Time and Method. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publishing Co.
• McGrath, J. E. & Hollingshead, A. B. (1994). Groups Interacting with Technology: Ideas, Issues, Evidence, and an Agenda. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Arrow, H., McGrath, J. E. & Berdahl, J. L. (2000). Small Groups as Complex, Systems: Formation, Coordination, Development, and Adaptation. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publishing Co.
• McGrath, J. E. & Tschan, F. (2004). Temporal Matters in Social Psychology: Examining the role of time in the lives of groups and individuals. Washington DC: APA Publications.

Books edited or co-edited

• McGrath, J. E. (Ed.), (1970). Social and Psychological Factors in Stress. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• McGrath, J. E. (Issue Editor) (1981). "Judgment Calls: An unorthodox view of the research process". American Behavioral Scientist, 25 (2), Nov./Dec.
• McGrath, J. E. (Issue Editor) (1983). "Social Issues and Social Change: Some Views from SPSSI's Past". Journal of Social Issues, 39 (4).
• McGrath, J. E. (Ed.) (1988). The Social Psychology of Time: New Perspectives. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publishing Co.
• McGrath, J. E. (Issue Editor) (1993). Time, Task, and Technology in /work Groups: The JEMCO Workshop Study. Small Group Research, 24, No 3.
• McGrath, J. E. & Arrow, H. (Issue Editors) (1995/1996). Time, Technology, and Groups: Development, Interaction, and Task Performance over Time in Computer-mediated vs Face-to-Face Groups. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 4, Nos. 1 & 2.

Chapters in books

• Havron, M. D. & McGrath, J. E. (1961). The contributions of the leader to the effectiveness of small military groups. In Petrullo, L., & Bass, B. (Eds.) Leadership and Interpersonal Behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.
• McGrath, J. E. (1964). Toward a "theory of method" for research on organizations. Chap. 27 in Cooper, Leavitt & Shelley, (Eds.) New Perspectives in Organization Research. New York: Wiley & Co. [Reprinted in: H. C. Schulberg, A Sheldon, & F. Baker (Eds.) Program Evaluation in the Health Fields. New York: Behavioral Publications, Inc. 1970; and in R. T. Mowday & R. M. Steers (Eds.) Research in Organizations: Issues and Controversies. Santa Monica, CA: Goodyear Publ Co., Inc. 1979, pp. 4–21).
• McGrath, J. E. (1966). A social psychological approach to the study of negotiation. Chap. 6 in Bowers, R. V. (Ed.) Studies in Behavior in Orqanizations. Athens, GA. Univ. Georgia Press.
• McGrath, J. E. (1968). A multifacet approach to classification of individual, group and organization concepts. In Indik, B. Berrien, K. (Eds.), People, Groups and Organizations. New York: Teachers College Press, pp. 191–215.
• McGrath, J. E. (1974). Social Groups. Encyclopædia Britannica, Third Edition Vol. 17, pp. 959–964.
• McGrath, J. E. (1976). Stress and behavior in organizations. Chap. 31 in Dunnette, M. (Ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organizational Psychology. Chicago: Rand McNally Co., Inc. pp. 1351–1395.
• McGrath, J. E. (1981). Methodological problems in research on stress. Chap. 2 in Krohne, H. W. & Laux, L. (Eds.), Achievement, Stress, and Anxiety. Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, pp.l9-48.
• McGrath, J. E. (1982). Complexities, cautions and concepts for research on mass psychogenic illness. Chap 4 in Colligan, M., Pennebaker, J. W., & Murphy, L. (Eds.) Mass Psychogenic Illness: A social psychological Analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 57–85.
• Brinberg, D., & McGrath, J. E. (1982). A network of validity concepts. In Brinberg & Kidder (Eds.) Forms of Validity, New Directions in Methodology for the Social and Behavioral Sciences #12. New York: Jossey-Bass.
• McGrath, J. E. & Rotchford, N., (1983). Time and behavior in organizations. In Cummings, L. & Staw, B. (Eds.) Research in Organizational Behavior, vol. 5, Greenwich, CN: JAI Press, Inc., pp. 57–101.
• McGrath, J. E. & Brinberg, D. (1984). Alternative paths for research: Another view of the basic vs. applied distinction. In Oskamp, S. (Ed.) Applied Social Psychology Annual, vol 5, Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publishing Co., pp. 109–129.
• McGrath, J. E., Kelly, J. R. & Machatka, D. E. (1984). The Social Psychology of time: Entrainment of behavior in social and organizational settings. In Oskamp, S. (ed.) Applied Social Psychology Annual, vol. 5, Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publishing Co., pp. 21–44.
• McGrath, J. E. (1985). Groups and the innovation process. Chap. 3 in Merritt & Merritt (Eds.) Innovations in the Public Sector. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publishing Co.
• McGrath, J. E. (1986). Studying groups at work: Ten critical needs for theory and practice. In Goodman, P. & Associates (Eds.) Designing Effective Work Groups. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers, pp. 362–391.
• McGrath, J. E. (1988). Introduction: The Place of Time in Social Psychology. Chapter 1 in McGrath, J. E. (Ed.) The Social Psychology of Time: New Perspectives. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publishing Co., pp. 7–17.
• McGrath, J. E. (1988). Time and Social Psychology: An integration. Chapter 12 in McGrath, J. E. (Ed.) The Social Psychology of Time: New Perspectives. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publishing Co., pp. 255–267.
• McGrath, J. E. (1989). Time Matters in Groups. Chap. 2 in J. Galegher, R. E. Kraut, & C. Egido (Eds.) Intellectual Teamwork: Social and Technical Bases of Cooperative Work. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum, Inc., pp. 23–61.
• Argote, L. & McGrath, J. E. (1993). Group Processes in Organizations: Continuity and Change. In: C. L. Cooper & I. T. Robertson (Eds.) International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1993. N. Y. John Wiley & Sons.
• McGrath, J. E. & Gruenfeld, D. H. (1993). Toward a dynamic and systemic theory of groups: An integration of six temporally enriched perspectives. In: M. M. Chelmers & R. Ayman (Eds.) Leadership Theory and Research: Perspectives and Directions, (pp. 217–243). N. Y.: Academic Press.
• McGrath, J. E. & Hollingshead, A. B. (1993). Putting the "Group" back in Group Support Systems: Some Theoretical Issues about Dynamic Processes in Groups with Technological Enhancements. In L. M. Jessup & J. S. Valacich (Eds.) Group Support Systems: New Perspectives (pp. 78–96). N.Y.: McMillan.
• McGrath, J. E., Kelly, J. R., & Rhodes, J. E. (1993) A Feminist Perspective on Research Methodology: Some Metatheoretical Issues, Contrasts, and Choices. In S. Oskamp & M. Costanzo (Eds.). Gender Issues in Social Psychology: The Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Arrow, H. & McGrath, J. E. (1995). Membership Dynamics in Groups at Work: A Theoretical Perspective. pp. 373–411 in B Staw and L. Cummings (Eds.) Research in Organizational Behavior, vol 17 N.Y.: JAI Press.
• Hollingshead, A. B. & McGrath, J. E. (1995). Computer-Assisted Groups: A Critical Review of the Empirical Research. In: R. A. Guzzo & E. Salas (Eds.) Team Effectiveness & Decision-Making in Organizations. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Beehr, T. A. & McGrath, J. E. (1996). The Methodology of Research on Coping: Conceptual, Strategic, and Operational Level Issues. To appear in: Zeidner, M. & Endler, N. (Eds.) Handbook of Coping: Theory, Research and Applications. Wiley.
• McGrath, J. E., Berdahl, J. L., & Arrow, H. (1995). Traits, Expectations, Culture and Clout: The Dynamics of Diversity in Work Groups. In S. E. Jackson & M. M. Ruderman (Eds.) Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace. Washington D. C.: American Psychological Association.
• McGrath, J. E. (1995). Methodology Matters: Doing Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. In Baecker, R. & Buxton, W. A. S. (Eds.) Readings in Human-Computer Interaction: An Interdisciplinary Approach. 2nd edition. San Mateo, CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
  Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
  Morgan Kaufmann Publishers is a Massachusetts based publisher specializing in computer science and engineering content.Since 1984, Morgan Kaufmann has published content on information technology, computer architecture, data management, computer networking, computer systems, human computer...
  
  .
• McGrath, J. E. & O'Connor, K. M. (1995). Temporal Issues in Work Groups. In M. West (Ed.) Handbook of Workgroup Psychology. London: SAGE Publications.
• McGrath, J. E. & Berdahl, J. L. (1998). Groups, Technology, & Time: Uses of Computers for Collaborative Work. In Tindale, R. S., Edwards, J., and Posavac, E. J. (Eds.) Applications of Theory and Research on Groups to Social Issues (pp. 205–228). N. Y.: Plenum Publishing Corp.
• McGrath, J. E. (1998). A view of group composition through a group-theoretic lens. In D. Gruenfeld (Ed.) Research on Managing Groups and Teams, vol 1:Group Composition (pp. 255–272). N.Y. JAI Press.
• Shupe, E. I. & McGrath, J. E. (1998). Stress and the sojourner. In C. L. Cooper (Ed.) Theories of Organizational Stress (pp. 86–100). Oxford U.K.: Oxford University Press.
• McGrath, J. E. & Altermatt, T. W. (2000). Observation and analysis of group interaction over time: Some methodological and strategic choices. In M. Hogg & R. S. Tindale (Eds.) Blackwell's Handbook of Social Psychology, vol. 3 Group Processes. (pp. 525–556). London: Blackwell Publishers.
• McGrath, J. E. & Argote, L. (2000). Group Processes in Organizational Contexts. In M. Hogg & R. S. Tindale (Eds.) Blackwell's Handbook of Social Psychology, vol. 3 Group Processes. London: Blackwell Publishers.
• McGrath J. E. & Johnson, B. A. (2003). Methodology makes meaning: How both qualitative and quantitative paradigms shape evidence and its interpretation. In: P. Camic, J. R. Rhodes, and L. Yardley (Eds.) Qualitative Research in Psychology. Washington D.C.: APA Publications.
• Fulk, J. & McGrath, J. E. (2004). Touchstones: A Framework for comparing Premises of Nine Integrative Perspectives on Groups. Chapter 11 in: Poole, M. S. & Hollingshead, A. B. (Eds.) Theories of Small Groups: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
• McGrath, J. E. & Tschan, F. (2004). Dynamics in Groups and Teams: Groups as Complex Action Systems. Chapter 3 in: Poole, M. S. & Van de Ven, A. (Eds.) Handbook of Organizational Change and Innovation. Oxford, U. K.: Oxford University Press.
• Poole, M. S., Hollingshead, A. B., McGrath, J. E., Moreland, R. L., & Rohrbaugh, J. (2004). Chapter 1 in: Poole, M. S. & Hollingshead, A. B. (Eds.) Theories of Small Groups: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Semmer, N. K., McGrath, J. E. & Beehr, T. A. (forthcoming). Conceptual Issues in Research on Stress and Health. In: Cooper, C. (Ed.). Handbook of Stress and Health (2nd Ed.). New York: CRC Press.

Journal articles

• McGrath, J. E., & McGrath, M. F. (1963) Effects of partisanship on perceptions of political figures. Public Opinion Quarterly, 26, 236-248.
• McGrath, J. E. (1978a) Small group research. American Behavioral Scientist, 21 (5), May/June, 651–674.
• McGrath, J. E. (1981) Dilemmatics: The study of research choices and dilemmas. American Behavioral Scientist, 25(2), 154–179.
• McGrath, J. E., Martin, J. & Kulka, R. (1981) Some quasi-rules for making judgment calls in research. American Behavioral Scientist, 25(2) 180-121.
• McGrath, J. E. & Arrow, H. (1996). Introduction: The JEMCO-2 Study of Time, Technology, and Groups. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 4, No. 2 & 3.