What does an interaction effect suggest about group performance?

An interaction effect indicates that the relationship between one independent variable and the dependent variable differs depending on the level of another independent variable. In the context of group performance, this means that the effectiveness or performance of a group can vary based on different conditions or influencing factors, such as environmental settings, time of day, or individual characteristics.

For example, suppose you are studying the performance of two different groups under varying levels of stress. An interaction effect would suggest that one group may perform better than the other under low-stress conditions, while the opposite may be true under high-stress conditions. This variability highlights the complexity of how different variables interplay in influencing an outcome, reinforcing the idea that group performance is not static and can be influenced by context or other variables.

The alternatives imply a lack of variability in performance based on conditions, which does not accurately reflect the dynamic nature observed in many real-world scenarios and research findings. Thus, understanding interaction effects is crucial for interpreting research results in psychology and other fields.