Group Processes

Question 1

What are the reasons for joining a group?

Answer 1

Lack of choice, reach goals, uncertainty reduction (guidelines for how to behave)
effects of not being in a group - social ostracism (exclusion from a group by common consent)

Question 2

What is group cohesiveness?

Answer 2

The extent to which forces push group members closer together such as through feelings of intimacy, unity, and commitment to group goals

Question 3

What are roles?

Answer 3

Set of expected behaviours; can be formal or informal

Question 4

What happened in Zimbardo’s study?

Answer 4

PRISON STUDY - students allocated as prisoners or guards - study haltered early due to extreme role adoption

Question 5

What is status?

Answer 5

Some roles/groups have more prestige.

Question 6

What are the status characteristics?

Answer 6

Specific (directly related) vs diffuse (generally valued)

Question 7

What are norms?

Answer 7

Rules of conduct for members

Can be = formal or informal; descriptive or prescriptive; explicit or implicit

Question 8

How do norms influence individuals?

Answer 8

Provide guidelines on how to behave as a typical group member and can influence the individual in the absence of the group

Question 9

What is social facilitation?

Answer 9

Process whereby the presence of others enhances performance on easy tasks but impairs performance on difficult tasks

Question 10

What are the three social facilitation theories?

Answer 10

1. Drive theory (Zajonc)
2. Evaluation apprehension theory
3. Distraction-conflict theory

Question 11

What is the drive theory?

Answer 11

Arousal drives energy to produce a dominant response (other’s mere presence produces social facilitation)

Question 12

What is the Evaluation apprehension theory?

Answer 12

Attentive others produce fear of evaluation

Question 13

What is the Distraction-conflict theory?

Answer 13

Distraction from the key task

Question 14

What is social loafing?

Answer 14

Group-produced reduction in individual output on tasks where contributions are pooled

Question 15

Describe Latane et al’s social loafing study

Answer 15

CHEERING/CLAPPING STUDY - found motivation loss = social loafing

Question 16

What are the factors that influence social loafing?

Answer 16

• greater anonymity: increases loafing
• valuing/involvement in task: lowers loafing
• believing one can help achieve the desired outcome: lowers loafing
• intergroup comparison: lowers loafing
• anticipated loafing of others: lowers loafing

Question 17

What is deindividuation?

Answer 17

Loss of a person’s sense of individuality and the reduction of normal constraints against deviant behaviour

Question 18

What is LeBon’s theory of crowd behaviour?

Answer 18

People become barbaric

Question 19

What is a social identity perspective?

Answer 19

Not lost identity in a crowd but shift from personal to shared social identity as a crowd member

Question 20

What is brainstorming?

Answer 20

A technique that attempts to increase the production of creative ideas by encouraging group members to speak freely without criticising their own or others contributions

Question 21

What can cause poor performance in brainstorming?

Answer 21

1. evaluation apprehension
2. social loafing/free-riding
3. production blocking (interference effects)
4. performance matching

Question 22

What is groupthink?

Answer 22

Group decision-making style characterised by an excessive tendency among group members to seek concurrence

Question 23

What has archival research of historical events shown about groupthink?

Answer 23

The desire for unanimity can override rational decision-making processes

Question 24

What are strategies to prevent groupthink?

Answer 24

1. wide consultation with outsiders
2. encouragement of criticism
3. use of sub-groups to discuss issues
4. follow-up meetings to review major decisions

Question 25

What is group polarisation?

Answer 25

Exaggeration of initial tendencies in the thinking of group members through group discussion

Question 26

What are social dilemmas?

Answer 26

The situation in which a self-interested choice by everyone will create the worst outcome for everyone

Question 27

What factors can influence juries?

Answer 27

1. group decision making processes discussed and conformity (informational and normative)
2. the race of the accused - racial composition can have an effect
3. jury foreperson/jury speaker - diffuse status characteristics
4. the harshness of penalties (if too harsh, backfires)