PSYC226 Chapter 9 - Groups Lecture Notes PDF

Chapter 9 - Groups Who performs better? Individuals by themselves Lecture 4-1-24 OR Groups 1 Deindividuation ⚫ ⚫ 57% of trick-or-treaters stole extra money or candy when in groups, versus 21% when alone (Diener et al., 1976) Trick-or-treaters stole less candy when a mirror was propped behind the c...

Chapter 9 - Groups Who performs better? Individuals by themselves Lecture 4-1-24 OR Groups 1 Deindividuation ⚫ ⚫ 57% of trick-or-treaters stole extra money or candy when in groups, versus 21% when alone (Diener et al., 1976) Trick-or-treaters stole less candy when a mirror was propped behind the candy bowl (Beaman et al., 1979) 2 Consequences of Deindividuation ⚫ Leads to an increase in impulsive and deviant acts Lack of self-awareness and social identity → Less accountability and feelings of responsibility 3 1 What is a group? ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ Size (2 or more; usually up to 20) Interaction Interdependence Which of the following are examples of groups? Students in this class Protesters at a demonstration Members of a basketball team Students standing in the Dunkin line All residents of a city Two strangers texting A family Residents in a dorm Several people building a Habitat for Humanity home 4 To what degree do you agree with the following statement? ⚫ The next exam should be essay-based rather than short answer and multiple choice Not at all 1 Somewhat 2 3 Very much 4 5 5 Who makes better decisions? Groups or the same individuals by themselves? ⚫ Reasons why groups do worse: Process Loss 1. 2. Failing to share unique information (only focusing on common knowledge) Group Polarization When groups make decisions that are more extreme than initial inclinations of individual members Mechanisms: ⚫ Normative function of social influence ⚫ Group identity/norms ⚫ Informational function of Social Influence ⚫ Availability heuristic/mere exposure 6 2 How to address Group Polarization Ask people to explain the details of the policies and positions they claim to support, and how those details lead to a specific outcome. Don’t ask people to list the reasons why they support the policy/position Fernbach et al., 2013 http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/04/24/0956797612464058 7 3. Social Facilitation vs Social Loafing Individual’s efforts CAN be evaluated Simple Tasks = Good - Alertness - Evaluation apprehension - Distraction Arousal NO evaluation apprehension No Arousal Complex Tasks = Bad Presence of Others Individual’s efforts CAN’T be evaluated Simple Tasks = Bad Complex Tasks = Good 8 4. Groupthink ⚫ Valuing group cohesion OVER facts (only when coupled with…) – – – – Isolation Directive leader Stress Poor decision-making procedures The Challenger Explosion (Jan. 28, 1986) 9 3 Productivity Gains ⚫ What leads groups to perform better than individuals? (i.e., what can we do to increase groups’ productivity?) 1. Create individual accountability and standards Convey appreciation for individual roles/ contributions Increase group cohesiveness Seek anonymous and outside feedback 2. 3. 4. 10 4