Group Influence

Question 1

What is a group?

Answer 1

two or more ppl who interact with and influence one another or percieved one another as US (to affiliate, achieve and gain social identity)

Question 2

What are co-actors?

Answer 2

co-participants working individually on a competitive activity.

Question 3

What is the original and current meaning of SOCIAL FACILITATION?

Answer 3

Original: tendency for ppl to perform simple tasks when others are present
Current: the strengthening of dominant (likely) responces in the presence of others

Question 4

Why are we aroused in the presence of others?

Answer 4

evaluation apprehension, driven by distraction, mere presence

Question 5

What is social ostracism?

Answer 5

exclusion from group by common consent

Question 6

What is social loafing?

Answer 6

tendency for ppl to exert less effort when they pool their efforts towards a common goal than when they are individually accountable (collective task)

Question 7

What are free riders?

Answer 7

ppl who benefit from the gp but give little in return

Question 8

What is coordination loss?

Answer 8

losses due to problems coordinating individual members

Question 9

What is motivation loss?

Answer 9

losses due to decreases in individual member’s motivation

Question 10

What is deindividualisation?

Answer 10

loss of self awareness and evaluation apprehension; occurs in group situations that foster responsivness to gp norms (good or bad); loss of individual identity and engage in unsociable behaviours

Question 11

What occurs when self awareness diminishes?

Answer 11

less restraint, less self regulation, more likely to act without thinking

Question 12

What is group polarisation?

Answer 12

gp produced enhancement of members’ preexisting tendencies; a strengthening of the members average tendency (not a split within a group)

Question 13

Explain the difference between informational and normative influence in polarisation.

Answer 13

Info: shared info, views are focus of convo, active participation
Norm: social comparison, pluralistic ignorance, referent informational influence

Question 14

What is pluralistic ignorance?

Answer 14

a false impressionof what most other ppl are thinking or feeling, or how they’re responding

Question 15

What is referent informational influence?

Answer 15

most of the time we learn info about what is real at the same time as we learn what others think should be done about it (think global warming)

Question 16

What is group think?

Answer 16

the mode of thinking that people engage in when concurrence seeking becomes so dominant in a cohersive in group that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action

Question 17

What factors can sprout group think?

Answer 17

amiable cohesive gp, relative isolation of group from dissenting view points, directive leader who signals decision, high task complexity, high stress from external threat

Question 18

What are the symptoms of group think?

Answer 18

illusion of invulnerability (excessive optimism), unquestioned beliefs in gp mortality, rationalisation, stereotyped view of opponent, conformity pressure, self sensorship, illusion of unamity, mind guards

Question 19

How can group think be prevented?

Answer 19

being impartial, encourage critical evaluations, call second chance meetings, subdivide gp, welcome critiqe from outsiders

Question 20

How can minorities make an influence?

Answer 20

consistency/persistence, self confidence, commitment to group

Question 21

What results from defections from the minority?

Answer 21

persistent minority punctures any illusion of unamity, once one begins others soon follow

Question 22

What is leadership?

Answer 22

process by which certain group members motivate and guide the group towards achievement of goals

Question 23

What is task leadership?

Answer 23

leadership that organises work, sets standards, and focuses on goals (directive style)

Question 24

What is social leadership?

Answer 24

leadership that builds team work, mediates conflict and offers support (democratic style)

Question 25

What is transformational leadership?

Answer 25

leadership that, enabled by a leaders vision and inspiration, exerts significant influences

Question 26

What is great person theory?

Answer 26

great leaders are born with certain characteristics

Question 27

Explain the drive theory of group influence.

Answer 27

the physical presence of others leads to arousal and motivates performance on unskilled tasks

Question 28

Why do ppl join groups?

Answer 28

proximity, avoid lonliness, emotional support, accomplish tasks, uncertainty reduction (rules/norms), terror management

Question 29

What is the distraction conflict model?

Answer 29

conflict produces arousal which increases drive and social facilitation

Question 30

What is the self discrepency theory?

Answer 30

when people become self aware, they make comparisons, between actual and ideal selves (increased motivation to keep both in line)

Question 31

What determines whether people work hard on task?

Answer 31

if they believe it will lead to better performance, will lead to recognition/reward, rewards are valued/desired

Question 32

What is social compensation?

Answer 32

increased effort on a collective task to compensate for others lack of effort/ability

Question 33

What is the difference between a task specialist and socioemotional specialist leader?

Answer 33

Task: focus on getting task done
Socioemo: focus on maintaining friendly relations in gp, builds teamwork, mediates conflict

Question 34

What is brainwriting?

Answer 34

silent, handwritten, communication whereby ideas are written on a paper rather than spoken out loud (eliminates verbal sharing, attention paid to others ideas is crutial)