Group Dynamics

Question 1

Why are groups important?

Answer 1

• We all belong to groups
• Social creatures
• Big part of life, to understand the individual you ought to understand groups

Question 2

What are groups?

Answer 2

• A collection of people

Question 3

How do you define groups?

Answer 3

• Two or more individuals who are connected by and within social relationships
  Two or more individuals
• All shapes and forms
• Face to face interactions
• Some are small, others are big (different purposes/focuses)
  Who are connected
• Social relations that link members to each other and the group in itself
• How others perceive the group (cohesion)
• Some groups are more of a category ; interests, gender, age etc
• Connection tend to be social and emotional
  By and within social relations
• There can be different types of social relations; kinship or task-related interdependencies
• Some group relations are stronger or weaker
• Direct and indirect links, no links no group

Question 4

Whats a primary group?

Answer 4

• A small long-term group, frequent interaction, solidarity and high levels of interdependencies that influences attitudes, values and social outcomes of its members
• Close-knitted groups, family
• Important part of their life, can be part of their identity
• Involuntarily groups

Question 5

Whats social, secondary, groups?

Answer 5

• Slightly bigger group than primary, interaction over an extended period of time
• Bit more organized
• Multiple groups
• Need less commitment, easier to join or leave
• Workgroup or study groups or bands

Question 6

Whats a category group?

Answer 6

• Collection of individuals who are similiar to each other, but different in other ways
• Share a common identity with others; girls, rockers, elderly etc
• Creates stereotypes
• We/us vs They/them

Question 7

Whats a collective group?

Answer 7

• A large group of individuals who display similiarities in actions and outlook
• Common interests or shared actions sucha as queing, panicked group or a crowd
• Dissolves as quickly as it gets created

Question 8

Social identity

Answer 8

• An individuals sense of self, comes from relationships and from groups
• Aspects that are assumed to be common for them in specific groups or social categories
• Girls like cooking

Question 9

Characteristics of groups - Composition

Answer 9

• Different in each group due to the groups individuals
• Traits, values, gender, age etc

Question 10

Characteristics of groups - Boundries

Answer 10

• Who belong or dont belong to the group?
• The relationships between the members - are you getting recongnized?

Question 11

Open groups

Answer 11

• Memberships are fluid, boundries are set and can be viewed by anyone
• Anyone can join, if they pass

Question 12

Closed groups

Answer 12

• Harder to join or leave
• Requirements are hidden for nonmembers
• Can give a chance of security

Question 13

Characteristics of groups - Size

Answer 13

• Different in each group
• Influence structure, processes and interactions - different in a smaller group than a bigger group
• Bigger group tends to have leader, more risks for subgroups and more indirect links

Question 14

Characteristics of groups - Interaction

Answer 14

• What the members do
  Task interaction
• Goals and to get there
• Coordination
  Relationship interaction
• Emotional aspect, bond between each other member
• Feedback, support, critique
  Both can occur at the same time

Question 15

Characteristics of groups - Interdependence

Answer 15

• Mutual dependence
• High and low levels
• Asymmetrical, unequal and hierarchical

Question 16

Characteristics of groups - Structure

Answer 16

• Not random, organized and predictable
• Heart of dynamic process - group structure, roles and norm
• Conflics happen

Question 17

Characteristics of groups - The groups goal or purpose

Answer 17

• Like goals
• Generating: strategies or creating goals
• Choosing: intellective tasks or decision-making tasks
• Negotiating: cognitive conflict tasks or mixed-motive tasks
• Executing:competitions or collective actions

Question 18

Characteristics of groups - Origin

Answer 18

• Planned group or emergent groups
• Internal and external origins/motives for groups to be created

Question 19

Characteristics of groups - Cohesion

Answer 19

• the commitment to the groups purpose than the social bond

Question 20

Entatativity

Answer 20

• How the group is perceived by others
• Observers POV
• The groups apparent cohesiveness

Question 21

Groups dynamics

Answer 21

The influential interpersonal process that occurs in and between groups over time, these processes can occur with predictable regularity in groups