8: group dynamics Flashcards
what are intimacy groups
direct groups such as families, spouses, friends
what are social categories
general class of groups such as women,
ie) jewish, muslims, north americans
what are loose associations
loose groups such as neighborhoods, people who like classical music
(nothing to do with class groups)
what is entitativity
degree to which a collection of people feel like a cohesive group
what influences entitativity
- common bond (degree of dependency between members to meet needs and goals)
- common identity ( individuals who share similar characteristics)
define a group
3 or more people who interact and influence one another
what are characteristics of groups
- social norms (norms established in a particular group)
- social roles (specific expectations about how a particular group should behave
what is social facilitation
the process by which the presence of others enhances performance of easy tasks but impairs performance on difficult tasks
what is Zajoncs refined social facilitation theory
The theory that the presence of others increases a person’s dominant response—that is, the response that is most likely for that person for the task at hand
what is evaluation apprehension theory
presence of others will produce social facilitation effects when we are concerned with how we appear in the eyes of others
what is distraction conflict theory
when a person is performing a task, the mere presence of others creates a conflict between concentrating on the task and concentrating on the other people.
leads to social facilitation
what is social loafing
tendency for people to relax in presence of others when their individual performance can’t be evaluated
what influences social loafing
- size of the group (larger group//less effort)
- perceived anonymity (if people believe their efforts cant be perceived there is increased social loafing)
- group importance (less likely to loaf if the group is important to them)
- value of individual efforts ( ones efforts wont decline if they believe they are necessary to the group)
- social loafing declines if one believes negative consequences will arise with their poor performance
what is deindividualization
loss of a persons sense of individuality when people cannot be identified
- can lead to loose constraints on behaviour
what can deindividualization lead to
antisocial actions and tendencies
- individuals feel less accountable for their actions
- attentional cues are shifted from the self to the situation (can lead to aggressive behavior)
what is the social identity model of deindividuation effects ( SIDEO
Whether deindividuation affects people for better or worse reflects the norms and characteristics of the group immediately surrounding the individual.
ie) political rally can become a riot if norm of aggression belongs to group
what are the assumptions of group decision making
assumed that group decisions (unity) are typically better than individual decisions
- however, sometimes groups make poor decisions
what are additive tasks
activities in which the group output reflects total of all individual member contributions
what are conjunctive tasks
Activities in which the performance of the group depends on the least talented member.
- include challenging tasks on the basis of effort
what are disjunctive tasks
Activities in which the performance of the group depends on the most talented member.
- tasks that rely on correct answers
whats group think
when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives.
- based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people.
- typically have a directive leader
what are symptoms of group think
- illusion of invulnerability
- no skepticism
- follow stereotyped worldview
- censorship
- mind guards: Members who protect the group from information that calls into question the quality or morality of their decision
what habits prevent group think
- leader is non-directive
- norm to skepticism and openness
- individuals outside the group should have some influence in the decision
- seek anonymous opinions from members so theres no pressure for conformity
what is group polarization
tendency for groups to show a shift towards the extremes of decision-making when compared to decisions made by individuals.
what is a risky shift
phenomenon that group decisions are riskier than individual decisions
what are cautious shifts
phenomenon that group decisions are more cautious than individual decisions
what may cause one to polarize in group arguments
- persuasive arguments (participation in discussion may lead to rehearsal and validation)
- social comparisons (Individuals spontaneously compare themselves to others and if they find a difference they move toward the group’s view. try to fit in group norm)
what are social dilemmas
situations in which self interested choice by most people may lead to harmful effects for everyone
what is prisoners dilemma
a situation where two parties, separated and unable to communicate, must each choose between cooperating with the other or not.
ie) Two prisoners are accused of a crime. If one confesses and the other does not, the one who confesses will be released immediately and the other will spend 20 years in prison.
what is the commons dilemma
a social dilemma in which individuals in a group each make decisions out of self-interest, eventually causing unintended harm to the entire group
what is the public good dilemma
Individuals expected to contribute to common pool (e.g. taxes, donating blood, etc) but if no one gives, services cannot be provided.
what are qualities of risk taking
- reward focused behavior
- insensitive to negative outcomes
- related to the approach phenomena
what is social identity theory
the ways that people’s self-concepts are based on their membership in social groups.
what are ingroup biases
A tendency to favor groups we belong to more than those that we don’t.
what is a dominant response
the response that is most likely for that person for the task at hand.
what’s Zajonc’s experiment with roaches on The Role of Arousal
places roaches in complex or simple maze alone or in presence of other roaches
- when the task was easy, the cockroaches reached their goal more quickly in the presence of other cockroaches than when they were alone.
- when the task was difficult, it took the cockroaches longer to reach their goal with other cockroaches lurking about
what is social dominance theory
The theory that large societies create hierarchies and that people tend to endorse beliefs that legitimatize hierarchy
what are legitimizing myths
overly simplistic beliefs about why people succeed or fail in society
- ie) anyone can get ahead in life by simply working hard enough
what is system justification theory
we are motivated to defend the status quo because doing so serves fundamental psychological needs for certainty, security, and social acceptance
ie) upper class will have negative view on lower class as unintelligent before admitting the inequality of society
what are complementary stereotypes
Both positive and negative stereotypes that are ascribed to a group as a way of justifying the status quo.
ie) the poor are happy (are they REALLLY??)
what is Relative deprivation theory
theory which states that disadvantaged groups are less aware of and bothered by their lower status because of a tendency to compare their outcomes only with others who are similarly deprived.
what is collective action
any action that individuals undertake as psychological group members, and with the subjective goal to improve their group’s conditions
