Julian, Bishop & Fiedler Army Training Study and Turner's Group Cohesion Experiment

12 Questions

What was the downside of higher group cohesion in the Julian, bishop & Fiedler Army training study?

Lowered morale due to frequent and continuous failure

In Turner's group cohesion experiment with schoolgirls, what happened to the cohesion of highly committed groups when they lost?

Increased

According to Roy's 'Banana time' case study, what was the impact of higher cohesion on member satisfaction and productivity?

Higher member satisfaction and lower productivity

What was the key difference in how highly committed groups and low-commitment groups reacted to losing in Turner's experiment?

Highly committed groups became more determined, low-commitment groups saw decreased cohesion

What did Julian, bishop & Fiedler suggest was needed to improve morale in army training?

Ensuring every squad wins some competitions

What was the main finding of Aronson & Mills' study on hazing with female students?

Hazing resulted in lower group cohesion and satisfaction

What did participants who went through a severe initiation and experienced cognitive dissonance tend to do in terms of rating the group?

Rate the group more favorably

What did Sherif's autokinetic effect studies reveal about grouped participants?

They adjust their personal judgments to the group norm

In the Bennington College Study (1943), what general trend was observed in students' political attitudes over time at the liberal college?

They became more liberal

What behavior did the Bavelas Study demonstrate could be increased through encouragement in groups?

Taking initiative and speaking up

According to the Ohio State Leadership Studies, what are the two important dimensions of leadership behavior?

Task orientation and relationship orientation

What did Fiedler's studies on leadership, conducted over 15 years with 1600 groups, focus on?

Leadership effectiveness and situational factors

Study Notes

Cognitive Dissonance and Group Ratings

Participants who undergo severe initiations rate the group more favorably to eliminate cognitive dissonance
Supports Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance

Sherif's Autokinetic Effect Studies

Participants in groups adjusted their personal judgments to the group norm, even if it was less accurate to their own beliefs
Group members converged to a norm after 90 trials
Removal of group members doesn't change the norm, but new members added create a new norm influenced by the previous one
Old norms persist for approximately 5-6 generations

The Bennington College Study

Students' political attitudes became more liberal the longer they spent at the university
More liberal students looked up to faculty and student leaders (referent group influence)
Students' popularity/status increased when they followed the norms
Conservative students were more socially isolated and identified with family and friends back home
Views taken on during college were long-lasting

Bavelas Study on Leadership

People can be encouraged to take initiative and speak up more in a group through encouragement
Encouragement continued to increase perceived leadership ability in subsequent sessions
Shows that leadership can be learned and trained

Ohio State Leadership Studies

Two important dimensions of leadership: task orientation and relationship orientation (support for two-factor theory of leadership)
Best leaders show both task and relationship behaviors

Fiedler's Studies on Leadership

Leaders chosen based on competence, legitimate process, strong group identification, conforming to norms, and fair conflict procedures
Higher group cohesion results in higher morale, stronger group identification, better adjustment to army life, and higher satisfaction with training

Turner's Group Cohesion Experiment

Highly committed groups had greater cohesion when they lost, but low-commitment groups' cohesion declined when they lost
Highly committed groups were more determined to do better next time

Roy's "Banana Time" Case Study

Higher cohesion led to higher member satisfaction, but lower productivity
Hazing (initiation rituals) in groups can lead to increased cohesion and member satisfaction