CH 7 Understanding Group Influence Flashcards
What is a Group?
A group is two or more people who interact and see themselves as “us.”
Example: A basketball team, a study group, or a group of friends.
A collective is a set of people who are together but don’t interact much.
Example: A crowd watching a street performer.
How Does the Presence of Others Affect You?
Just having other people around can change how well you perform:
✔ Easy tasks? You do better.
❌ Difficult tasks? You do worse.
Example:
You might run faster when jogging with others.
But you might choke on a difficult test if too many people are watching.
Social Loafing – Why Do People Slack Off in Groups?
Social Loafing happens when people put in less effort in a group than when working alone.
This is because individual effort is harder to measure in a group.
Some people become “free riders”—they benefit from the group’s work but contribute very little.
Example:
In a group project, some students work hard while others do almost nothing but still get the same grade.
✅ How to Reduce Social Loafing:
Assign specific tasks to individuals.
Make each person’s effort visible and reward contributions.
Deindividuation – Losing Yourself in a Group
Deindividuation happens when people in a group lose their sense of individuality and act in ways they normally wouldn’t.
What causes this?
Being in a big group (more anonymity).
Being physically anonymous (masks, uniforms, online).
Being excited or distracted (concerts, riots).
Example:
Crowds at protests sometimes turn violent.
People on social media say mean things they wouldn’t say in person.
✅ How to Reduce Deindividuation:
Increase self-awareness (mirrors, name tags, individual responsibility)
Group Polarization – Why Groups Make Extreme Decisions
Group Polarization happens when people’s opinions become more extreme after discussing with a group.
✔ If a group starts with a mild opinion, discussion makes them more confident and extreme.
❌ If a group already has negative views, discussion makes them even more negative.
Example:
A group of environmentalists becomes even more passionate about saving the planet after talking together.
An online conspiracy group believes in the theory even more after discussing with like-minded people.
Groupthink – When Groups Make Bad Decisions
Groupthink is when a group values agreement over critical thinking, leading to poor decisions.
🔍 Signs of Groupthink:
Overconfidence (“We can’t fail!”)
Ignoring alternatives (“We don’t need other opinions.”)
Pressure to conform (“Don’t speak against the group.”)
Thinking the group is always right
Example:
A company ignores warnings about a risky product because the team agrees to launch it anyway.
A government ignores military threats because officials convince themselves there’s no danger.
✅ How to Avoid Groupthink:
Encourage debate and different viewpoints.
Assign a “devil’s advocate” to argue against the group.
Get outside opinions before making a final decision.
Brainstorming – Is It Really Effective?
Surprisingly, people come up with better ideas alone than in a group.
Why?
In groups, people hold back ideas (fear of judgment).
Some voices dominate the conversation while others stay silent.
Better alternative:
Have individuals brainstorm first, then share ideas as a group.
The Influence of the Minority – Can One Person Change a Group?
Yes! Even a small minority can influence a group if they are confident and persistent.
How does a minority influence a group?
Consistency – Keep repeating the message.
Confidence – Show certainty in their beliefs.
Encourage creative thinking – Make others rethink their positions.
Create debate – The group starts discussing the new idea.
Example:
Women’s rights activists changed laws by staying firm in their beliefs.
Scientists challenging old ideas (e.g., “The Earth is round!”) eventually convinced the majority
