Chapter 8 - Group Processes Flashcards
What is a Group?
-A group is a collection of three or more people who interact with each other and are interdependent.
-their needs and goals cause them to rely on one another
-two people are usually referred to as a dyad.
Why do people join Groups?
-Forming relationships with others fulfils a number of basic human needs, and is likely innate.
–we have a fundamental need to belong, it fills our self-esteem. Also higher chances of survival in a group.
-groups help us define who we are as individuals.
-group membership also motivates people to become involved in social change.
What are the composition and functions of groups?
-Social norms: specify how group members should behave (implicit/explicit expectations).
-Social roles: shared expectations by group members on how particular people in the group should behave. Getting too caught up in a role, however, can result in a loss of identity and personality change. Zimbardo’s classic prison experiment demonstrates how readily a person’s behaviour can become extreme when role playing.
-Group cohesiveness: qualities of a group that bind members together and promote liking among them (and working together). Cohesiveness influences the extent to which members are likely to stay in the group, take part in group activities, and recruit like-minded members.
-Group diversity: groups tend to be homogenous, comprised of members who are alike in age, sex, beliefs, and opinions. Interestingly, it seems that it is the more diverse groups that tend to make better decisions.
How do groups influence the behaviour of individuals?
-groups/people either energize us or relax us.
When the presence of others energizes us:
-the presence of others increases physiological arousal (Zajonc) [feel energized when people are around]
-when that arousal exists, it is easier to do something simple, and more difficult to do something complex or new.
What is Social Facilitation?
-tendency for people to do better on simple tasks but worse on complex tacks, when in the presence of others and their individual performance can be evaluated.
-3 theories explaining the role of arousal:
1. the presence of other people cause us to become alert and vigilant.
2. others make us apprehensive about being evaluated (evaluation apprehension)
3. others distract us from the task
-co-actor effect: when there are others performing the task with us
-audience effect: when there are others actively observing us
What is Social Loafing?
-the tendency for people to do worse on simple tasks, but better on complex tasks, when they are in the presence of others and their individual performance cannot be evaluated.
-when our performance in a group cannot be identified, we become more relaxed.
-being relaxed improves performance on complex tasks and impairs performance on simple tasks.
–when our own performance can’t be evaluated then we tend to perform worse
-research shows that the tendency to loaf is stronger in:
–men than in women
–individualist cultures than in collectivist cultures
What is Deindividuation?
-the loosening of normal constraints on behaviour when people are in a group, leading to an increase in impulsive and deviant acts.
-being in a group and wearing a uniform or disguise increases anonymity, thus making people feel less accountable for their actions.
-the presence of others lowers self-awareness, thereby shifting people’s attention away from their moral standards.
-deindividuation increases the extent to which people obey the group norms, whether they are for the good or the bad.
When do group interactions inhibit good problem solving (process loss)?
-a common occurrence in groups that contributes to process loss is the tendency to focus mainly on what its members already know in common.
-as a result, there is a failure to share unique information that each person might have.
-Groupthink: a kind of thinking in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner. Causes people to reach an inferior decision, sometimes with disastrous consequences.
How to overcome Groupthink?
-Impartial leadership: a system in which leadership can change or democracy leadership style.
-Subgroups: with different goals that have equitable voices; different levels of expertise.
-Anonymous opinions: being able to disagree with the group without having to reveal your identity.
-Outside opinions: being open/exposed to outside opinions (not just 1 source).
What is Group Polarization?
-the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their members.
–Can occur in a large group and then can create many sub-groups where the opinion can become more and more extreme
–the more arguments/information we hear about a side, the more likely we are to agree with that side; happens subtly/slowly. (Ex: covid vaccine —> conspiracies)
-believed to occur because people become exposed to even more persuasive arguments than they had at the onset - quantity vs quality of arguments.
-social comparison forces might also be at play, with people adopting similar but more extreme views in order to be liked by the group.
What are the different Leaderships in groups?
-Great Person Theory
-Leadership Styles
-Contingency Theory of Leadership
-Task-oriented leader
-Relationship-oriented leader
What is Great Person Theory?
-the theory that certain key personality trait make a person a good leader, regardless of the situation the leader faces.
-research shows a weak relationship between personality characteristics and leadership. (“Some people are born leaders” is wrong); attribution theory
-integrative complexity: the ability to recognize and integrate various perspectives, shows a stronger link with leadership effectiveness.
What the two leadership styles?
-Transactional leaders set clear, short-term goals and reward people who meet them.
-Transformational leaders inspire followers to focus on common, long-term goals.
What is the Contingency Theory of Leadership?
-The theory that leadership effectiveness depends both on how task-oriented or relationship-oriented the leader is, and on the amount of control and influence the leader has over the group.
What is a Task-oriented leader?
-Concerned more with getting the job done than with the feelings of and relationships between workers.
–if relationship has already been made or if there’s no relationship and won’t work together again, then task-oriented leader is better.
