1.1 GROUP PERFORMANCE Flashcards
potential group performance [PP]
likely outcome if all group members work as individuals
actual group performance [AP]
actual productive outcome of group
If AP>PP …?
group is facilitating/enhancing performance
If PP>AP…?
group is hindering performance
What is Steiner’s AP formula?
AP = PP - PL
What is a unitary task
all members do the same thing
what is a divisible task
people do different sub-tasks
what are 2 types of task goals?
maximisation [quant] and optimisation [qual]
what are the 3 types of tasks ?
additive, disjunctive, conjunctive
Additive Task
*Group performance = sum of individual performances
*Unitary + maximisation
*E.g. Brainstorming, pulling a rope
*group potential is higher than what the best members could achieve alone
Disjunctive Task
*Operate at level of the highest performer
*Group succeeds if a single group member succeeds
*Can still benefit from larger group, greater group size should add to performance, inc likelihood of correct answer statistically?
o Nb. No direct link to group size and success though
*Eureka effect: correct/best decision once found is immediately recognised by all as correct
*e.g. problem-solving, complex calculations
*basically just a group working on something that one person could do
*group potential = best individual performance
Conjunctive Task
*Group members must be successful for the task to be completed
*E.g. mountain climbing team, keeping a secret, precision group work
*Team is only as fast as its slowest member
*Group potential decreases as group inc, more likely to have a weaker member
*Group potential = weakest individual performance
social inhibition
group process losses, how groups hinder productivity
what 3 things may cause social inhibition/process losses?
losses in coordination, motivation, or cognitive restriction
the ringleman effect
each member adds less performance to the group than their prior, as group size increases, performance slows
name 4 faults with brainstorming
production blocking, topic fixation, social inhibition, social loafing
production blocking
listening to others ideas uses mental energy needed to think of new ideas, reduces creative output
topic fixation
ideas tend to cluster to a few categories
social inhibition
ideas are held back for fear of what other people will think
social loafing
as responsibility is distributed, apathy sets in and individuals are less accountable for production, individual contribution cannot be easily assessed/distinguished from overall group
motivation losses may be due to which 3 things
social loafing, dispensability effect, sucker effect
for which type of tasks is social loafing an issue?
additive tasks
dispensability effect
people think their individual effort makes no real contribution to outcome
sucker effect
due to others social loafing, initial hard workers will reduce their efforts to not be suckers
what is cognitive restriction
trapped in certain ways of thinking, thought process effected by being in a group setting
2 examples of cognitive restriction
group think + risky shift
group think
people tend to conform with group decisions to avoid being an outcast, which may lead to errors in decision making
in which instances does group think especially occur
- group is cohesive
- powerful leader signalled what decision they favoured
- group regards itself as superior/elite
what can be done to avoid groupthink?
oLeader must try to appear impartial
oAssign member as devil’s advocate to question assumptions/plans of group
oAny input should not be mocked or dismissed
oGroup should occasionally sub-divide before re-joining
oCall in outside experts to discuss decision
risky shift
the tendency for decisions made in groups to be less conservative than the decision of the average group member
which are riskier, groups or inidivduals?
groups
what is a more accurate concept than risky shift
group polarisation
group polarisation
groups more extreme than individual members views, any valenced opinion gets stronger in group setting
what are two examples of group polarisation in the real world
- racial prejudice inc in group discussion with like-minded people
- gender – girls become more girly in all-girl groups, v/v for boys
name 4 concepts involves in social facilitation
social competition, social compensation, kohler effect, cognitive stimulation
what is social facilitation
how groups can enhance productivity
social competition
o If individual contribution to group is assessed, competition, incentivisation
o Best when reward is tangible and members have equal abilities
o Actual group > potential group performance
social compensation
o High performers work extra hard to overcome weaknesses of other members
o Overcompensation
o Occurs if stronger members believe goal of group is highly important; If not then strong may social loaf or sucker effect
kohler effect
weaker members feel pressure to wor harder than they would individually, avoid blame for weak group performance. example: team rowing
cognitive stimulation
o Opposite of inhibition
o Member may suggest something no other member has thought about
o Being in group could be more cog stimulating than being alone
name 3 key people and what they are known for in group performance
Steiner - 3 dimensions of group task, actual group performance formula.
Stoner - risky shift.
Janis - Groupthink.
