Chapter 10 - Group Dynamics and Intergroup Relations

Question 1

Define: group dynamics

Answer 1

The social psychological study of groups and group processes.

Question 2

Define: group

Answer 2

Two or more persons who are interacting with one another and/or influencing one another.

Question 3

What is the difference between a group and a non group?

Answer 3

Instead of drawing a hard line between groups and nongroups, we can think about collections of individuals as ranging along a continuum from little or no ‘group character’ to a great deal of ‘group character’. Those who are interacting with one another and/or influencing one another are a group.

Question 4

Define: social facilitation

Answer 4

The effects of other people on individual performance, which will usually be improved performance on simple tasks and impaired performance on complex tasks.

Question 5

Why and how does the dominant response effect individual response in group settings?

Answer 5

The presence of other people is physiologically arousing, maybe because of anxiety about performing well in front of others. Therefore, people only focus on a few cues in the setting. When a task is simple, this narrowed focus of attention actually improves performance because it blocks out distractions. When a task is complex, the narrowed focus of attention makes it difficult for the individual to attend to all the cues necessary for good performance.

Question 6

Define: dominant response

Answer 6

The action that is most likely to occur in a situation or on a task when the individual is alone.

Question 7

Define: social loafing

Answer 7

The reduction effort that people often exhibit when working in a group where individual contributions are unidentifiable, involves relaxation or reduced motivation. The larger the group, the less effort individuals tend to exert on joint tasks.

Question 8

What factors decrease an individual’s chances of engaging in social loafing?

Answer 8

When members consider the group’s goals to be worthwhile and believe that group to be making a valuable contribution, social loafing is less likely.

Question 9

Which gender is more likely to engage in social loafing? Why?

Answer 9

Men are more likely to exhibit social loafing than women, because women are more group oriented and concerned about collective outcomes.

Question 10

Define/explain: deindividuation

Answer 10

A psychological state in which people lose their sense of personal identity and feel immersed in a group, people can be caught up in the actions of those around them, more likely to engage in socially undesirable behavior.

Question 11

Explain 3 possible psychological processes through which deindividuation affects behaviour.

Answer 11

1. deindividuation weakens people’s inhibitions against performing harmful or socially disapproved actions, releases people from their normal ethical constraints
2. deindividuation heightens people’s responsiveness to external cues
3. deindividuation increases people’s adherence to norms that emerge in groups

Question 12

Define/explain: groupthink

Answer 12

A way of thinking that can occur in decision-making groups, where pressure to agree leads to inadequate appraisal of options and poor decisions.

Question 13

List the 8 symptoms of groupthink.

Answer 13

• illusion of invulnerability,
• unquestioned belief in the group’s morality, group fails to recognize that self-interest might be coloring its perspective, may ignore ethical aspects of its decisions
• rationalization of warnings, warning signals are discounted or rationalized as being harmless
• stereotyped view of enemies, increasing the chance of aggression, underestimating the enemy
• conformity pressures
• self-censorship of misgivings, questions, and counterarguments
• illusion of unanimity
• self-appointed mindguards

Question 14

Exaplain 5 ways of preventing groupthink.

Answer 14

• leader should be impartial, and nondirective, remain quiet and neutral early in the discussion
• assign a “devil’s advocate” to encourage critical evaluation
• subdivide group to reduce conformity pressures
• welcome critiques from outsiders
• a normal openness and candor should be established in the group, sometimes by the leader, members should be rewarded for raising questions

Question 15

Define: group cohesiveness

Answer 15

the combined strength of all forces acting on members of a group to remain in the group, ex. membership is prestigious, they receive tangible benefits from being in the group

Question 16

How does group cohesiveness contribute to groupthink?

Answer 16

Members of highly cohesive groups do not want to be ostracized or excluded from the group, which leads them to conform and avoid criticizing other members’ ideas.

Question 17

How do directive leaders contribute to groupthink?

Answer 17

Directive leaders openly express their own opinions and control subsequent conversation in the group, inadvertently puts pressure on others to agree, can be difficult for members to raise questions or concerns.

Question 18

How does high stress contribute to groupthink?

Answer 18

Stress makes members feel even more pressure to follow the leader’s opinion and to avoid rocking the boat, ex. severe time pressure to make a decision.

Question 19

Define/explain: group polarization

Answer 19

The tendency for group discussions to strengthen the initial leanings of the members in a group. Whatever position or option is initially preferred by the majority of group members will tend to become even more widely preferred after group discussion, may contribute to intergroup hostility.

Question 20

Explain 2 possible causes of group polarization.

Answer 20

1. the majority of arguments offered during discussion are likely to support whatever view was predominant before the discussion began, informational influence
2. people desire to appear intelligent, there is social pressure to move in the direction of the preferred view because members don’t want to appear ill-informed unyielding, normative influence

Question 21

Define: divergent thinking

Answer 21

Novel, creative thoughts to consider alternative approaches to a problem, can be stimulated in individuals in groups who are exposed to a minority view.

Question 22

Define: convergent thinking

Answer 22

Standard or typical approaches to a problem, elicited in individuals in groups who were exposed only to the majority view.

Question 23

What are the 3 ways we identify leaders?

Answer 23

1. Leader holds formal position of authority, ex. by election, easy to identify
2. Person is acknowledged as the leader by most members, without formal authority
3. Leader is defined by their impact on the group members, ex. who can best motivate members to work hard, members might not realize who the true leader areas

Question 24

Define: transformational leaders

Answer 24

Individuals who produce fundamental changes in how members of a group view themselves and the group.

Question 25

Define/explain: task achievement function of leaders

Answer 25

Aspects of leadership that relate to group productivity, ex. providing expert advice, distributing tasks.

Question 26

Define: socioemotional leader

Answer 26

An individual who takes charge of issues related to morale in a group.

Question 27

Define: task leader

Answer 27

An individual who takes charge of issues related to productivity in a group.

Question 28

Define/explain: group maintenance function of leaders

Answer 28

Aspects of leadership that relate to morale in the group, ex. motivating members, resolving disputes.

Question 29

List 4 ways to define leadership effectiveness.

Answer 29

1. productivity: a common approach, defines an effective leader as one whose group is highly productive, best used when groups produce an output that can be quantified
2. member satisfaction: defines an effective leader as one whose group members are very satisfied, best used in groups is primary purpose is socializing
3. impact: defines an effective leader as someone who has a large impact on the group
4. member’s ratings of the leader’s effectiveness: allows members to focus on whatever aspect of leadership they personally consider to be important, most common method in social psychological research

Question 30

Define/explain: trait approach to leadership

Answer 30

The perspective that people become leaders, or perform well as leaders, because of their individual characteristics, ex. intelligence and charisma.

Question 31

Which gender is more likely to emerge as the task leader of a group? the socioemotional leader of a group? Which gender are more likely to be leaders?

Answer 31

Men are more likely to emerge as the task leader of a group, women are more likely to emerge as the socioemotional leader of a group. Leaders are more likely to be male than female.

Question 32

Define/explain: great person theory

Answer 32

The hypothesis that exceptional leaders possess extraordinary qualities and skills, consistent with the trait approach to leadership.

Question 33

What are the gender differences in group leadership styles?

Answer 33

Men are more likely than women to adopt a controlling, autocratic leadership style, whereas women are more likely than men to adopt an open, democratic leadership style.

Question 34

Define: situational approach to leadership

Answer 34

The perspective that external/situational factors, such as seating arrangements, can influence who will become leader of a group.

Question 35

What are 3 examples of situational factors that affect leadership emergence?

Answer 35

• seating arrangements at initial group, communication tends to go back and forth across the table, therefore the participants directing comments to the most people might be perceived as the leader
• external threat, when a group perceives external threat, its members look for strong leadership to deal with the threat, later some members of the group may come to regret their enthusiastic endorsement of extreme response to a threatening situation
• seniority, people who belong to groups the longest are often seen as the ones who should serve as leaders, irrespective of their relevant skills

Question 36

Define/explain: interactionist approach to leadership

Answer 36

The perspective that certain kinds of people are likely to emerge as leaders/be effective leaders under one set of conditions, whereas other kinds of people are likely to emerge as leaders/be effective leaders under a different set of conditions.

Question 37

Define/explain: contingency model of leadership effectiveness

Answer 37

A theory that predicts that task oriented leaders will be more successful than relationship oriented leaders in groups where the situation is either very favourable or very unfavourable for the leader, whereas relationship oriented leaders will be more successful than task oriented leaders in groups where the situation is next for the leader.

Question 38

Define/explain: acculturation

Answer 38

The process of cultural and psychological change that takes place as a result of contact more cultural groups and their individual members. The extent to which immigrants adapt effectively to their new country depends on both personal characteristics and external characteristics.

Question 39

List the four different acculturation goals.

Answer 39

1. Integration
2. Separation
3. Assimilation
4. Marginalization

Question 40

Define: terrorism

Answer 40

Actual or threatened violence against civilians for alleged political purposes, it’s psychological impact far exceeds its material or physical impact, ex. causes widespread fear. Reflects a desire to create fear and confusion, rather than to resolve an issue or conflict, their goal is often to bring anarchy to society, the breakdown of social control.

Question 41

Define: dehumanization

Answer 41

The process of perceiving members of a group as subhuman or inferior to members of one’s own group, it allows people to inflict pain and suffering on the group without worrying about the morality of their behavior.

Question 42

List some factors that increase the likelihood that intergroup conflict will be reduced.

Answer 42

• Communication
• Trust
• Unilateral Conciliatory Initiatives

Question 43

Define/explain: unilateral conciliatory initiatives

Answer 43

Actions to reduce conflict that one group takes without any request from the opponent and without any explicit demands for concessions from the opponent. The opposing group is likely to believe that it represents a real attempt to ease tensions. Given the norm of reciprocity, the opposing group is likely to feel that it should respond to unilateral conciliatory initiative with a concession of its own. Can trigger a dramatic de-escalation of tension and suspicion.

Question 44

Define: conflictive ethos

Answer 44

An atmosphere of distrust and hatred that can develop in long-standing disputes.

Question 45

Define: ethos of peace

Answer 45

An atmosphere of acceptance and cooperation, which can facilitate the resolution of disputes.