Social Psychology Group Processes

Defining a Group

• A group is a collection of individuals sharing at least one characteristic
• Shared characteristics can include: direct interaction over time, shared social category (race, sex), or common fate, identity, or goals.

Group Processes

• Study of group aspects within social psychology
• Focuses on group cohesiveness and solidarity
• Includes how individuals join, socialize within groups, and assume roles
• Explores the impact of groups on members via persuasion, leadership, and established norms

Example of Group Process

• A party planning group is used as an example
• Members engage in dialogues to complete shared tasks effectively
• Examples include suggesting band hires and discussing snack options

Group Roles

• Instrumental roles focus on accomplishing tasks
• Expressive roles provide emotional support and maintain morale

Group Norms

• Norms are formal or informal rules of conduct within a group
• They define expectations and behaviors recognized within a social group
• Examples include nationality, organizations, and sports teams
• Norms evolve through interactions where members influence each other

Group Cohesiveness

• Cohesiveness refers to the forces pulling group members together
• Cultural differences can impact how individuals perceive and relate to group dynamics

Social Loafing

• Individuals contribute less effort to group tasks compared to individual tasks
• It is a social psychology phenomenon
• Factors reducing social loafing include accountability for shared tasks, distinguishing individual contributions, and personal significance of the task

Conditions Reducing Social Loafing

• Group members feeling accountable for shared tasks
• Individuals understanding the criticality of their contributions
• Meaningful or significant tasks leading to greater intrinsic motivation

Why Social Loafing Occurs

• The collective effort model suggests reduced individual motivation
• Lowered expectation of achieving goals through group contribution
• Reduced perceived personal value of contributions

Group Performance: Problems and Solutions

• Brainstorming: a technique for generating ideas within a group
• Encourages free expression without fear of criticism
• Preventing Groupthink: preventing an excessive desire for consensus among group members
• Encouraging wider consultations
• Minimizing conformity pressure from leaders
• Promoting critical assessment

Groupthink

• A phenomenon where the desire for agreement surpasses the motivation to make informed decisions
• Leading to poor decisions without considering consequences or alternatives
• Suppression of individual viewpoints to maintain group harmony

Consequences of Groupthink

• Poor decision-making
• Inadequate exploration of alternatives
• High probability of flawed decisions
• Inability to create contingency plans

Group Polarization

• Groups tend to make decisions more extreme than individual members' inclinations
• Higher risk decisions if initial sentiment favors risk; conversely towards more cautious decisions if initial sentiment is cautious

Factors Creating Group Polarization

• Persuasive arguments within a group
• Social comparison, evaluating beliefs against others, to maintain group alignment

Conditions for Team Effectiveness

• Clear goals
• Strong communication
• Defined roles
• Trust among members
• Ability to manage conflicts constructively

Conflict: Cooperation and Competition

• The Prisoner's Dilemma: a scenario where individuals choose between cooperation or competition
• Often leading to suboptimal outcomes

Cultural Dilemmas

• Conflicts arise when values, beliefs, customs of one culture conflict with another
• Stemming from foundational differences affecting perspectives and actions

The Relationship Between Culture and Ethical Dilemmas

• Culture profoundly influences an individual's ethical ideologies
• Guiding principles for perceptions of appropriate behavior

Social Psychology Course: Attitudes and Social Behavior

• Attitude: A set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors related to specific objects, people, things, or events

Types of Attitudes

• Cognitive Component
• Emotional Component
• Behavioral Component
• Positive Attitude
• Negative Attitude
• Neutral Attitude

Characteristics of Attitudes

• Directed towards objects, which can be positively or negatively evaluated
• Learned rather than innate

Positive Attitudes

• Examples: optimism, confidence, sincerity, happiness, reliability, adaptability, flexibility, and accountability

Scientific Definitions of Attitudes

• A relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioral tendencies related to socially significant objects, groups, or events
• A psychological tendency expressed by evaluating an entity with favor or disfavor

Structure of an Attitude

• Affective Component (feelings)
• Behavioral Component (actions)
• Cognitive Component (beliefs)

Functions of Attitude

• Provide meaning and stability to experiences
• Predict behaviors and outcomes

Ego-defensive Function

• Protect self-esteem and justify actions causing guilt

Types of Behavior

• Molecular and Moral
• Overt and Covert
• Voluntary and Involuntary

Measuring Attitudes

• Self-Report Measures (e.g., Likert scale)
• Covert Measures (e.g., physiological responses, brain activity)

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

• Gauges speed of responses to concept pairings
• Highlights implicit biases and attitudes

Formation of Attitudes

• Formed through exposure, personal experience, social contexts, reinforcement

Link Between Attitudes and Behavior

• Attitudes significantly influence behavior, aligning with the theory of planned behavior
• Attitudes can sometimes dissociate from specific behaviors

Factors Indicating Attitude Strength

• Well-informed individuals exhibiting consistent behavior with their attitudes
• Attitude strength influenced by persuasive messages

Changing Attitudes

• Communication from others and internal reflection are common pathways

Social Behavior

• Influence of social media affecting reward sensitivity & risk-taking, particularly in young adults

Examples of Human Social Behavior

• Shaking hands, flirting, conversations, religious rituals, exchanging nonverbal signals, sharing meals

Pillars of Persuasive Skills

• Ethos (credibility), Logos (logic), Pathos (emotions)

Uses of Persuasive Text

• Present a viewpoint to convince readers
• Including arguments, discussions, reviews, advertisements

Routes to Persuasion

• Central Route (careful message evaluation)
• Peripheral Route (influenced by superficial factors)

Effective Message Elements

• Length, presentation order, emotional appeal enhance impact
• Moderate discrepancy yields effective persuasion

Conclusion

• Understanding group dynamics, social behavior, attitudes, and persuasion improves interpersonal relationships and communication.

This quiz explores the dynamics of group processes in social psychology. It covers defining groups, roles within them, and the influence of norms on group behavior. Delve into how these elements contribute to group cohesiveness and individual experiences.