He pioneered the study of small-group dynamics, including how leaders are selected, and similar hierarchical social interactions within gangs.
[10] Toward the end of the McCarthy era, Strodtbeck helped to plan and execute a secret study of jury deliberations in Wichita, Kansas in 1954.
The team's goal was to understand more about how small group social dynamics shape such important legal decisions that are made by a jury of one's peers.
Several secret recordings were made, and preliminary results and synopses of the team's findings were presented at an annual judicial conference in 1955.
[12][13][11] This project is one of the earliest examples of an attempt to develop real-time data on decision making within small groups, particularly within the legal system.