Seating Position and Interaction in Triads: A Field Study.

Relationships between seating position, length of acquaintance between subjects, observer bias toward the experimental outcome and interaction rates were examined in a field study. Forty-eight students observed 21 naturally occurring triads in field settings. Subjects with greatest visual centrality spoke most often. Length of acquaintance between subjects was unrelated to interaction rates Results help establish the ecological validity of previous laboratory research.