Group Dynamics Ch 5 Flashcards
Equifinality
In an open system, the potential to reach a given state through any one of a number of means. (Identified by Ludwig von Bertlanffy.)
Social cohesion
he attraction of members to one another and to the group as a whole.
Task cohesion
A shared commitment among members to achieve a goal and the resulting capacity to perform successfully as a coordinated unit.
Collective efficacy
The belief, shared among a substantial portion of the group members, that the group is capable of organizing and executing the actions required to
attain the group’s goals and successfully complete its
tasks.
Group potency
The level of the group’s shared optimism regarding its collective capabilities.
Collective cohesion
The degree to which the group unites it’s members, as indicated by the perceived solidarity of the group (entitativity) and members identification with the groups.
Identity fusion theory
A conceptual analysis that explains the extreme self-sacrifice (such as heroism in the face of danger and terrorism) that sometimes occurs when individual identity is fused with group identity.
Emotional cohesion
The emotional intensity of the group and individuals when in the group.
Relational cohesion theory
A conceptual analysis of cohesion that assumes members of groups develop stronger ties to groups that are perceived to be sources of positive feelings or emotions and weaker ties to those perceived to be sources of negative feelings or emotions.
Structural cohesion
The unity of a group that derives from the group’s structural integrity , including normative coherence, clarity of roles, and strength and density of relationships linking members.
Five-stage model of group development
A theoretical analysis of the regularities groups exhibit as they change over time that identifies five stages: orientation (forming), conflict (storming), structure (norming), performance (performing), and dissolution (adjourning). Identified and labeled by Bruce Tuckman.
Equilibrium model
A conceptual analysis of group development, proposed by Robert Bales, that assumes the
focus of a group shifts back and forth between the
group’s tasks and the interpersonal relationships among
group members.
Punctuated equilibrium model
A group development
theory that assumes groups change gradually over time
but that the periods of slow growth are punctuated by
brief periods of relatively rapid change.
Old sergeant syndrome
Symptoms of psychological
disturbance, including depression, anxiety, and guilt, exhibited by noncommissioned officers in cohesive units
that suffer heavy casualities. Strongly loyal to their unit
and its members, these leaders feel so responsible for their
unit’s losses that they withdraw psychologically from the
group.
Cognitive dissonance
An adverse psychological state
that occurs when an individual simultaneously holds
two conflicting cognitions.
