Chapter 12: Groups Flashcards
What is the nature and purpose of group living?
It helps with survival and reproduction
What is social facilitation?
Originally a term for enhanced performance when others are around. Now, a broader term for the effect, positive or negative, the presence of others has on performance.
What is zajonc’s theory of mere presence?
When you’re good at something, you’re faster and better
When you’re bad at something, worse and slower
What are the Two steps of zajonc’s theory?
1) presence of others makes us more aroused
2) others makes us more focused, and makes us do what we are automatically inclined to do. If well known, it’ll go better. If less known, will get worse.
Test for zajonc’s theory (freebie)
Cockroach and light study
What is evaluation apprehension?
People being concerned about looking bad in the eyes of others.
Studies show it works (blindfolded people one)
What is social loafing?
Doing less effort on a group task when individual contributions can’t be monitored
What is group think?
Faulty thinking by members of cohesive groups in which the critical scrutiny that should be focused to the issues at hand, are sidelined by social pressures to reach a census.
What is a main symptom of group think?
Strong directive leaders
This breeds self-censorship (withholding info and opinions in group discussions)
How to prevent groupthink?
Don’t make opinions known at the beginning
Allow outside input
Have a devils advocate in the group
What is group solutions? (And how do they differ from individual solutions)
More extreme than solutions made by individuals. When the group as a whole leans in one direction, the group discussions tend to take it further.
What causes group solutions?
1) persuasive arguments account:
If a group favours one direction, all group discussions will expose group members to more of that opinion.
2) social comparison interpretation:
People want to stand out, so they argue more extreme opinions
What is power?
The ability to control one’s and others outcomes
What is social hierarchy?
Arrangement of individuals within a group in terms of their relative power
How do we use virtue and vice to gain power in groups ?
Virtue: individuals that are good for the group get more social power
Vice: fraud and manipulation
Study: senators who showed more virtue were more convincing
How power shapes thoughts and actions. What is the approach and inhibition theory?
High power individuals are inclined to go after their goals and make quick (sometimes rash) judgements. Low power people are more likely to constrain their behaviour to pay attention to others.
What are power and empathy failures?
High power individuals : more likely to sterotype
And care less about others
How does power cause disinhibited behaviour?
When you feel powerful,
You tend to touch others/ and approach them closely
Overestimate another’s sexual interest in them
Flirt more forwardly
Elevated power is associated with immoral behaviour
What does power encourage us to do?
Express our underlying intentions (good or bad)
- power corrupts the corruptible
What is deindividuation?
Reduced sense of individual identity accompanied by diminished self regulation that can come over people when they’re in a large group
What is the model of deindividuation?
Antecedent (anonymity) conditions
To
internal state (less self evaluation)
To
Behaviours (impulsivity)
Testing the model of deindividuation?
Conduct of war: people may be more violence prone when anonymous
Explain how anonymity contributes to Halloween mayhem.
If in a group and anonymous, then more likely to take more then one candy
What is individualization?
Enhanced sense of individual identity produced by focusing attention on the self. Causes people to act deliberately and with their sense of values
What is the self awareness theory?
When people focus attention inwards, they become concerned with self evaluations and how their current behaviour conforms to internal standards.
