8: Leadership and Group Decision Making

Question 1

Are people more creative in a group or when working alone?

Answer 1

There’s no difference

Question 2

Do we contribute more ideas in a group or working alone?

Answer 2

We generate twice as many ideas when working alone

Question 3

Why do we generate more ideas when working alone compared to in a group?

Answer 3

Evaluation apprehension
Social loafing
Production matching
Production blocking

Question 4

How can evaluation apprehension be used as an explanation for coming up with less ideas in a group compared to working alone?

Answer 4

We’re concerned with making a good impression so worry they won’t like our ideas

Question 5

How can social loafing be used as an explanation for coming up with less ideas in a group compared to working alone?

Answer 5

Motivation loss because of the collective nature of the task

Question 6

How can production matching be used as an explanation for coming up with less ideas in a group compared to working alone?

Answer 6

We base our performance on the average of how the other members are performing

Question 7

How can production blocking be used as an explanation for coming up with less ideas in a group compared to working alone?

Answer 7

We’re blocked by interruptions and taking turns to listen to others

Question 8

What is groupthink?

Answer 8

A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive group, where members strivings for unity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action

Overestimation of group work and dehumanizing outgroups
Close mindedness to new ideas
Pressure towards uniformity

Question 9

What care the causes of groupthink?

Answer 9

High cohesiveness
Structural factors: Don’t think about the wider social context
High stress increases liklihood of groupthink

Question 10

What are the problems with the theory of groupthink?

Answer 10

Based on observations and historical accounts
Analysis the process and no the outcome
It doesn’t always produce bad decisions
It’s the norms, not the groups that are the issue

Question 11

What is the idea of group memory?

Answer 11

That people are more able to remember tasks if they are in a group than alone

Question 12

What is transactive memory?

Answer 12

Relies on the assumption that different group members will remember different things

Allows group members to remember more

Question 13

How are risky decisions affected by groups?

Answer 13

We make more risky decisions in a group

Question 14

What is polarization in group discussion?

Answer 14

The tendency to produce a more extreme group decision to the member’s pre-discussion opinion

Question 15

How can cultural value be used to explain polarization?

Answer 15

In public, we behave in ways that might not fit our internal ideas

We want to fit in with other people but also think our own opinions are correct

Question 16

How can persuasion be used to explain polarization?

Answer 16

Individuals are exposed to new arguemtns for extreme positions

Question 17

How does social identity explain polarization?

Answer 17

When focused on group membership, we shift towards the norm

Question 18

What are some explanations for leadership?

Answer 18

Personality theory
Leader behaviour
Situational perspectives 
Contingency theory
Leadership is a process

Question 19

What is leadership?

Answer 19

The process where an individual influences a group in a way that inspires them to achieve the same goal they have defined as being important

Question 20

What is the great man theory?

Answer 20

Leaders posess universal attributes which mean they are born great

Question 21

What is the situational perspective of leadership?

Answer 21

Leaders are those that best meet the requirements of a group in that current situation

Question 22

What is the atmosphere of an autocratic leader?

Answer 22

Aggression
Dependence
Self-orientated

Question 23

What is the productivity of a group with an autocratic leader?

Answer 23

When leader is present, productivity is high

When leader is absent, productivity is low

Question 24

What is the atmosphere of a democratic leader?

Answer 24

Friendly
Group orientated
Task orientated

Question 25

What is the productivity of a group when they have a democratic leader?

Answer 25

High all the time

Question 26

What roles do leaders take within the group?

Answer 26

Task specialist

Socioemotional specialist

Question 27

What is a task specialist?

Answer 27

They initiate actions and get members to concentrate on the task

Question 28

What is a socioemotional specialist?

Answer 28

They are in tune with how the group feels and how they respond to the task

Question 29

Who came up with contingency theory?

Answer 29

Fiedler

Question 30

What is contingency theory?

Answer 30

Effectiveness of task orientated vs socio-emotional leaders is contingent on their match with the situation

When situational control is at an extreme, task orientated leaders are most effective

Question 31

What is leader-member exchange theory?

Answer 31

Relationships between leaders and followers vary

Low relationships means fewer recourses are offered to that member

High relationships increase performance

Question 32

What is transformational leadership?

Answer 32

Leader inspires followers to adopt vision that involves more than self interest