Social Behaviour - Influence of Groups

Question 1

What is the definition of a group?

Answer 1

A collection of people with a shared feature or attribute

Question 2

What is an experienced group?

Answer 2

This gives a sense of belongingness

It may be ethnicity, occupation or a team

Question 3

What are in-groups?

“us”

Answer 3

This emphasises individuality within a group

It is the characteristics of the group which you want to distinguish your group by

Question 4

What are out-groups?

“them”

Answer 4

Groups which you pick negative characteristics about, and assume everyone in that group has those core traits

Question 5

Why do in-groups and out-groups exist?

Answer 5

There is a desire to distinguish your group from other groups

Question 6

What are the positives of group work and the presence of others?

Answer 6

1. increases productivity
2. changes the type of decision made
3. changes attitudes and behaviour

Question 7

What tends to make people more productive when working in a group?

Answer 7

Social facilitation

The idea that performance is better in competition

And performance improves by merely being observed

Question 8

When does social facilitation switch to social inhibition?

Answer 8

People perform straight-forward tasks better when being observed

If the complexity of the task is increased, being part of a group starts to compromise performance

Question 9

What is social inhibition?

Answer 9

Tasks are performed with more errors and a poorer overall performance as they become more complex

Question 10

Why does social facilitation only apply to straight-forward tasks?

Answer 10

Having someone present leads to an increased performance time

Being evaluated leads to performance time increasing even further

Question 11

Why does social inhibition apply to complex tasks?

Answer 11

The task takes longer if you are being observed

People become anxious about being evaluated and it is distracting having someone present when you are trying to concentrate on a complex task

Question 12

What is social loafing?

Answer 12

The idea that people are prone to exert less effort on a task if they are working in a group, than if they were working alone

Question 13

Why would a group of 6 people pulling a rope exert less force than the summed pull of 6 people pulling individually?

Answer 13

Due to social loafing

There is a decrease in effort by 10% as soon as the second person is added

Question 14

What is the average loss of productivity in a group due to social loafing?

Answer 14

There is a plateau at a 23% loss in productivity when more people are added to a group

Question 15

What are pseudo-groups and their influence on group productivity?

Answer 15

They are “actors” who are not actually performing the task

They account for coordination loss

Question 16

How else does social-loafing affect group productivity?

Answer 16

It leads to a loss of motivation

Question 17

What are the 3 reasons why social loafing occurs?

Answer 17

1. there are unclear/different standards
2. output equity
3. evaluation apprehension

Question 18

Why would shared standards help to reduce social loafing?

Answer 18

Sometimes the standards expected from the group are unclear - this would help to clarify

Question 19

What is meant by output equity?

Answer 19

We expect other people to socially loaf as well, so no one wants to be putting the most effort in to the task

Question 20

What is meant by evaluation apprehension?

Answer 20

People tend to claim and “hide” in the more non-engaging tasks

Question 21

What 3 factors can be used to reduce social loafing?

Answer 21

1. make individual contributions identifiable
2. emphasise valuable individual contributions
3. keep group size at an appropriate level

Question 22

How does group brainstorming compare with individual brainstorming?

Answer 22

Group brainstorming is far less productive than individual brainstorming

Question 23

Do groups tend to make more conservative (cautious) decisions?

Answer 23

Groups tend to come up with more cautious recommendations than individuals alone

This is why groups of individuals are elected

Question 24

What is meant by the “Risky Shift”?

Answer 24

A group consensus is almost always riskier than the average decision made by individuals prior to group discussion

Question 25

What is meant by “Group Polarisation”?

Answer 25

Group discussion strengthens the average inclination of group members

Question 26

How does group polarisation affect how cautious or risky a decision is?

Answer 26

People’s original leanings become more cautious/risky depending on the scenario when put into a group

Question 27

How does a discussion with like-minded people with the same beliefs affect an individual’s beliefs?

Answer 27

Discussion with like-minded people makes individuals strengthen their beliefs even further

Question 28

In what 3 ways does group polarisation affect an individual?

Answer 28

1. they come up with more persuasive arguments
2. social comparison and social desirability
3. discussion produces a commitment

Question 29

What is meant by social desirability in group polarisation?

Answer 29

People want to have the most positive or extreme view out of a group of people with shared views

Question 30

What is meant by a commitment being produced through group polarisation?

Answer 30

Discussing an idea helps to strengthen your view as it moves from an attitude to a commitment

Question 31

What are the non-social factors that influence response in an emergency?

Answer 31

1. ambiguity of the situation
2. personality
3. personal threat/cost of intervention

Question 32

What are the social factors that influence response in an emergency?

Answer 32

The presence of others

e.g. bystander apathy

Question 33

How does the presence of others affect rejection of authority?

Answer 33

Presence of others appears to facilitate disobedience or rejection of authority

Numbers enable rebellion but inhibit responding in crisis situations

Question 34

What is meant by cultural norms as an example of pro-social behaviour?

Answer 34

There is a social responsibility norm to give freely to help those in need

There is a reciprocity norm as helping people means they are more likely to help us back

Question 35

What types of people tend to be more helpful?

Answer 35

1. altruists
2. people in a good mood
3. men (when helping women)
4. those who feel competent

Question 36

What are norms?

Answer 36

They are shared beliefs about appropriate conduct

Or behaviours that characterise groups

Question 37

What are examples of norms that reflect shared beliefs about appropriate conduct?

Answer 37

These are explicit rules e.g. laws, religious codes, about what you should/shouldn’t do

Or they may be implicit, taken-for-granted habits, such as the responsibility to look after other humans

Question 38

What are examples of norms that reflect behaviours that characterise groups?

Answer 38

Stereotypes within groups

These are the things that define a group

Question 39

Why are norms inherently resistant to change?

Answer 39

It is difficult to change core norms as they are implicit

People do not think through their response in situations which challenge norms

Question 40

What is conformity?

Answer 40

Constructing and adhering to norms and yielding to the majority

Question 41

In Solomon Asch’s experiment, what results were seen?

Answer 41

As the number of confederates increases, the more people will agree with the majority view even if it is not what they instinctively believe

Question 42

Why do people conform?

Answer 42

To avoid censure, ridicule and social disapproval

No one wants to be the “odd one out”

Question 43

If people were allowed to write a judgement privately, how does this affect conformity?

Answer 43

Conformity drops massively when people do not have to share their judgement

Question 44

What types of people conform?

Answer 44

All people conform, but whether or not they conform depends on the situation

There is little consistency

Question 45

In which cultural groups is conformity higher?

Answer 45

In collectivist cultures (parts of Africa, Asia and South America)

Question 46

What types of group size tend to show conformity?

Answer 46

It levels off at a majority of 3 or 4

One ‘deviant’ ruins the effect - only one person needs to disagree for others to conform to their behaviour

Question 47

How can conformity affect social norms and health perception in the misperception of peer behaviour?

Answer 47

1. overestimate peer risk behaviour
2. underestimate protective behaviour
3. focus on extremes
4. media complicit leads to scare stories

Question 48

What is meant by deindividuation as a group influence?

Answer 48

People’s loss of self-awareness and restraint in groups

e.g. anonymity within a crowd, by mask or uniform

Question 49

What is meant by dehumanisation as a group influence?

Answer 49

Victims are made anonymous

e.g. in the war

Question 50

What is meant by disinhibition as a group influence?

Answer 50

a lack of restraint manifested in disregard of social conventions, impulsivity, and poor risk assessment