Chapter 8 .docx

WEEK 8 : GROUP PROCESSES How Do Groups Influence Behaviour? Intragroup processes: Happen within a group Intergroup processes: Happen between groups Group: Two or more people who have some degree of interdependence, co-exist within a social structure; have some sort of interaction Interconnectednes...

WEEK 8 : GROUP PROCESSES How Do Groups Influence Behaviour? Intragroup processes: Happen within a group Intergroup processes: Happen between groups Group: Two or more people who have some degree of interdependence, co-exist within a social structure; have some sort of interaction Interconnectedness and shared outcomes Ways in which groups influence behaviour: Social facilitation, social loafing, cohesion Social Facilitation Social Facilitation: When we do better on a task in the presence of others than when we are alone Social Inhibition: When we do worse on a task in the presence of others than when we are alone Theory of social facilitation (Zajonc): Mere presence of others increases our physiological arousal which enhances whatever our dominant response is on that task Evaluation Apprehension Social facilitation is caused not simply by the mere presence of others, but rather by our concern about being evaluated by them The presence of a supportive audience can lead to worse performance on difficult or unfamiliar tasks Distraction Another explanation for the effect of arousal on performance is that the presence of other people is distracting, even in cases in which they are not evaluating our performance This distraction decreases our ability to focus on a particular task Social Loafing Social loafing: A group-produced reduction in individual output on easy tasks where contributions are pooled Collective effort model: We are motivated to exert effort in group tasks only when we believe our distinct efforts are identifiable and when we will experience positive outcomes Identifiable contributions: One factor that influences social loafing is whether we believe our own contribution will be recognized Making individual outputs identifiable decreases the tendency to withdraw effort even in a group setting We do not socially loaf when our own outputs will be evaluated, especially if these outputs will be compared to others, or if we will receive feedback about our individual efforts Contributions’ impact: Another factor that influences social loafing is whether you believe your efforts will have an impact on the group’s performance If you must perform a difficult and unique task you will not withdraw effort, even if your individual output is not evaluated If you believe your efforts are not necessary for the success of the group, you tend to display less effort Task importance: You are also motivated to work hard on a group task if the task is highly important to you If the task is very important, you can be highly motivated to work hard even when your own contributions are not identifiable Social compensation: We work harder on a project to compensate for poor performance or social loafing by others Group Cohesion Group cohesion: The morale, team spirit, and solidarity of members of a group Highly cohesive groups perform better than less cohesive ones The cohesion-performance link is stronger for tasks that require high levels of interaction and interdependence between group members than for those that simply require high levels of individual performance How Does the Group Process Influence Decision-Making? Two factors that lead groups to err in their decisions: Group polarization Groupthink Group Polarization Group polarization: Initial tendencies of group members become more extreme following group discussion Risky shift: Group polarization can lead groups to make riskier decisions than individuals would make alone Hear more persuasive arguments Arguments you had not yet thought of Look for supporting arguments Learn group norms More accurate assessment of group norms Groupthink Groupthink: A group decision-making style characterized by an excessive tendency among group members to seek concurrence, consensus, and unanimity, as opposed to making the best decision Overestimate morality and invulnerability of group Overestimate invulnerability and morality of group Groups may see their chosen course of action as highly likely to succeed, and as based in the group’s fundamental goodness and morality Closed-mindedness: Group members will not hear dissenting views from outgroup members Pressure toward uniformity: Especially common highly cohesive groups. This can hurt performance when creative, innovative ideas are needed Solutions to Groupthink Encourage open contributions from all group members Emphasize the importance of open criticism Seek input from non-group members Deliberately recruit diverse members Train a group member about the dangers of biased group decision-making and have him/her inform other group members about these issues How do Leaders Guide and Motivate the Group? Group leaders can be formally chosen (election) or they can emerge informally and gradually Leaders guide and motivate the group Three models of what makes a good leader: Trait or “great person” model Transactional versus transformational leadership Contingency model Trait or “Great Person” Model Good leaders emerge based on specific personality traits, such as intelligence, dominance, and extraversion People with particular leadership characteristics (initiative, planning, delegation) are rated as more effective at leading groups on diverse tasks Transactional Versus Transformational Leaders Transactional leaders: Reward desirable behaviours by group members and act once mistakes or problems occur Transformational leaders: Foster trust among group members, build identification with and excitement about higher-level group goals, and examine new approaches for problem-solving Creates more intrinsic motivation How do Groups Handle Social Dilemmas? Social Dilemma: A situation in which what is best for the individual (or one group), is in conflict with what is best for another individual (or group) Types of Social Dilemmas Three types of social dilemmas: Common resource dilemmas Public goods dilemmas Prisoner’s dilemma Common resource dilemmas: When a resource (water, land, oil, etc.) can be reduced or eliminated by overuse We can each take moderate amounts, but if we all take as much as we want, the resource will be depleted Public goods dilemma: When a public good or service needs to be sustained over time If enough people contribute to the common pool, others can benefit because the resource will be available to them even if they do not contribute If not enough people contribute to the common pool, the resource can disappear completely Prisoner’s dilemma: Two people may choose to either cooperate with each other or compete with each other Each person’s best option depends on the option chosen by the other person The best outcome for each person is to compete while their partner cooperates The worst outcome is to cooperate while their partner competes Both people jointly are best off if they both cooperate Solutions to Social Dilemmas Regulate the use of resources Engage in open communication Create small, connected groups Create consequences for competition Tit-for-tat strategy: Involves starting with cooperation and then doing whatever your partner does on each interaction Activate altruistic motives How Does Culture Impact Group Influence? Priming different cultures influences people’s willingness to cooperate with a friend in a social dilemma Culture impacts: Social loafing Social dilemmas Social Loafing In collectivistic cultures individuals may be particularly motivated to have their group seem competent, regardless of whether their own individual input is identified For people in collectivistic cultures, group harmony and success may be even more important than individual performance Social Dilemmas Research on how people solve social dilemmas reveals considerable differences across cultures