Topic 8__Groups__ SV.pptx

Group Processes Topic 8 Overview of Topics Groups Defined Why Join Groups? The Functions of Groups How Groups Influence Individuals Group Decisions Conflict and Cooperation Groups Group: o A collection of three or more people who interact with one another and are interdependent in the sen...

Group Processes Topic 8 Overview of Topics Groups Defined Why Join Groups? The Functions of Groups How Groups Influence Individuals Group Decisions Conflict and Cooperation Groups Group: o A collection of three or more people who interact with one another and are interdependent in the sense that their needs and goals cause them to rely on one another o Mutual influence among members Examples: o o o o Family and friends Sports teams University class Political or social justice/advocacy groups Why Join Groups? Fundamental need o Intrinsically rewarding o Evolutionary reasons Achieve objectives collectively o Easier together Define ourselves o Identity Provide a lens through which we understand the world o Frameworks to simplify the complex world Motivation for social change The Functions of Groups Social Norms o Exert strong influence over behaviour o Vary across groups Social Roles: o Shared expectations by group members about how particular people in the group are supposed to behave o E.g., religious leader, teacher, boss o Research: Zimbardo et al (1973): Stanford Prison Experiment Gender Roles o Expectations about how men and women should behave o E.g., clothing, hair, work, parenting The Functions of Groups Group Cohesiveness: o Qualities of a group that bind members together and promote liking among them o Good socially, drawbacks for problem-solving Group Diversity: o Tend to attract similar individuals o Groups encourage similar behaviour • Social norms and conformity o Diverse groups can perform better How Groups Influence Individuals Social Facilitation: o The tendency for people to do better on simple tasks but worse on complex tasks when they are in the presence of others and their individual performance can be evaluated. o Well-learned tasks are performed well Research: o Triplett (1898): cyclists o Motor skills, physical strength, creative tasks, mental tasks o Bond & Titus (1983): Meta-analysis Based on physiological arousal (Zajonc, 1965) Why the presence of others causes arousal 1.Other people cause us to become particularly alert and vigilant 2.Others make us apprehensive about how we’re being evaluated 3.Others distract us from the task at hand How Groups Influence Individuals Social Loafing: o The tendency for people to do worse on simple tasks but better on complex tasks when they are in the presence of others and their individual performance cannot be evaluated o Common Definition: the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in groups compared to when working individually Research: o Ringelmann (1913): Rope pulling/tug-of-war o Cheering, clapping, rowing, singing, data entry Complex tasks may be performed better o Arousal is lower because individual performance is not assessed Gender and culture o Men and people from individualistic cultures socially loaf more How Groups Influence Individuals  Deindividuation: o The loosening of normal constraints on behaviour when people are in a group, leading to an increase in impulsive and deviant acts Examples: o o o o Internet trolling (anonymity) Torture Killing of Matti Baranovski Sports fans Why does deindividuation lead to impulsive acts? 1. Groups reduce the likelihood of individual blame 2. Groups lower self-awareness  outward focus 3. Adhere to normative social influence Group Decisions Group decisions can be good, but often there are problems Process Loss: o Any aspect of group interaction that inhibits good problem solving Failure to share unique information o Groups tend to focus on shared information o Limited time/attention o Solutions: • Make people responsible for specific areas of expertise • Ensure group discussions last long enough to afford people the chance to share unique information Group Decisions Groupthink: o A kind of thinking in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner Conflict and Cooperation Social Dilemma: o A conflict in which the most beneficial action for an individual, if chosen by most people, will have harmful effects on everyone o E.g., “The Tragedy of the Commons” (Harden, 1968) The Prisoner’s Dilemma o Increase cooperation: • • • • Friends/future interactions Individuals over groups Tit-for-tat strategy Consistent cooperation Conflict and Cooperation Using Threats to Resolve Conflict o Not typically an effective means of resolving conflict Negotiation and Bargaining o Negotiation: A form of communication between opposing sides in a conflict, in which offers and counteroffers are made and a solution occurs only when both parties agree o Integrative Solution: A solution to a conflict whereby the parties make trade-offs on issues according to their different interests • Each side concedes the most on issues that are unimportant to them but important to the other side • Can be difficult to identify what is most important to each The End