Chapter 12-group Dynamics Flashcards
What is the definition of a Group?
Exists when two people define themselves as a member of a group
Why do we produce groups (socio-biological perspective)
Because it helped us survive, deal effectively with preditors and allow coorporation in raising children, farming, and hunting.
We also have a need to belong.
Why groups (cognitive perspective)?
Social compasison theory:People want to hold accurate views of the world. Guidlines of what is appropriate behavior for situations.
Social identity and self-categorization theory: People define themselves in terms of group membership.
Why groups (utilitarian perspective)?
Social exchange theory: social relations help fulfill people’s needs.
What is entitativity?
The degree to which a group is percieved as being bonded together as a unity.
Depending on interaction, Common goals and outcomes, similarity.
High entitativity: family
What is the most important predictor of high entitativity?
Interaction
What is an intimacy group?
Family. Need for connectedness, Comfort and support
What is a task group?
Work. Need for success, competence, mastery.
What is a social category group?
A group you identify with. ‘woman’. Need for identity, uniqueness, and distictiveness.
What is a loose association?
A group of People waiting for the bus, or at the cinema.
What does group socialization mean?
The group’s effort to assimilate new members to existing group norms and practices.
What is a role transition?
When a member changes the relation to a group. Occur as a result of evaluation processes.
What is a group commitment?
A psychological bond between the group member and the group.
What is initiation and how does it affect the people involved?
The entry process of going through some kind of ritual (nollning). Connected to cognitive dissonance theory. When you do awful things to become a member, and you are still a member of the group afterwards you really must like the group. High initiation-More commitment to the group.
If the initiation is too severe, the person will like the group less and lead to frustration and loneliness.
What is a staffing level?
The level to which the actual number of group members is similar to the ideal number of group members. Both understaffing and overstaffing is bad for the group.
