RAT Quiz 1

Question 1

Bertchers’ definition of ‘group’

Answer 1

Groups change over time in an evolutionary process whereby an aggregate or gathering of individuals may become transformed by organisation first into a group, then into a team

Question 2

What is an ‘aggregate’?

Answer 2

A crowd, number of people sitting in a waiting room, interacting very little unlikely to meet again in same combo

Question 3

What are the 2 processes that underly group development?

Answer 3

1) TASK: Group engages in a goal-oriented activity

2) MAINTENANCE: Striving for good social relations & state of wellbeing

Question 4

When is a group said to be a team? (4 things)

Answer 4

The group shows:

• effective work procedures
• high productivity
• sense of cohesion
• satisfying relations between members

Question 5

What does ‘team’ imply?

Answer 5

At least a mature role structure & advanced level of performance

Question 6

What does ‘life-cycle’ of the group mean?

Answer 6

When groups come into existence, develop, mature & eventually die

Question 7

What does ‘Schutz’ model of group development show? (3 principals)

Answer 7

There are 3 principal concerns:

• Inclusion (who is in & out)
• Control (who is dominant & submissive)
• Affection (who is intimate & distant)

Question 8

What principles did Hartford (social worker) show?

Answer 8

Showed the processes that happen before a group meets for the first time
- “The former are of particular importance in shaping the members’ prior expectations of the group and the mood in which they will arrive at the first meeting”

Question 9

What are the patterns of group behaviour?

Answer 9

• Pre-group: interaction may or may not take place, building fantasies of what the group is like
• Forming: dependent (support & guidance) + tentative (discovering what behaviours are acceptable in the group)
• Storming: uneven interactions e.g. fighting & pecking order emerges
• Norming: when the group weathers storming phases & successfully handles conflict, tolerant of differences, members less dependent on leaders
• Performing: members ‘get on with job’, given fulfilling roles to enable them to achieve productivity
• Termination: checking goal achievement, departure, make plans for future, applying lesson learnt

Question 10

What are the 2 important qualifications of group development?

Answer 10

• Progression is irregular with periods of stagnation/intermittent reludes e.g. a stage lasting a month in one instant or hour in another
• Transition from what stage to another is usually gradual rather than sharp

Question 11

Briefly outline Woodcocks 4 stage model of group maturation:

Answer 11

Stage 1 - Undeveloped Team
Stage 2 - Experimenting Team: (members show willingness to engage in team activities)
Stage 3 - Consolidating Team
Stage 4 -Mature Team

Question 12

Why are the developmental models useful?

Answer 12

Each model offers an understanding & insight into groups, not about if the model is right or wrong

Question 13

Drucker’s argument for conflict:

Answer 13

‘The understanding that underlies the right decision grows out of the clash and conflict of opinions and out of the serious consideration of competing alternatives’

Question 14

What are the 5 basic methods of managing conflict? (3C’S 2A’S)

Answer 14

• Coercion
• Accomodation
• Avoidance
• Compromise
• Collaboration

Question 15

Define coercion, it’s use & disadvantage:

Answer 15

Use:
- To win goals even at the other person’s expense e.g. emergencies
Disadvantage:
- Conflict can erupt into open violence

Question 16

Define accomodation, it’s use & disadvantage:

Answer 16

Use:
- individuals neglect own needs to satisfy those of others e.g. by self-sacrifice, when continued competition can damage cause
Disadvantage:
- self-worth may feel diminished

Question 17

Define avoidance, it’s use & disadvantage:

Answer 17

Use:
- Individual doesn’t address conflict, postponing, when an issue is unimportant
Disadvantage:
- May increase opponents frustration

Question 18

Define compromise, it’s use & disadvantage:

Answer 18

Use:
- find mutually-acceptable solution to satisfy both party’s goals, to achieve temporary settlements in complex matters
Disadvantage:
- both sides may have low commitment to implementing the solution

Question 19

Define collaboration, it’s use & disadvantage:

Answer 19

Use:
- delving into an issue with another party to make a creative solution for both so neither is a loser, active-listening, clear communication
Disadvantage:
- large amounts of time & energy

Question 20

Most effective conflict-resolution process:

Answer 20

Collaboration

Question 21

What is critical thinking?

Answer 21

The process we use to recognize underlying assumptions, scrutinise arguments & interpret accuracy of information

Question 22

What is structured critical reasoning (SCR)?

Answer 22

A critical thinking algorithm used to analyze a document, preposition or problem solution

Question 23

What is socratic questioning?

Answer 23

A way to ask the right questions in order to distinguish the real problem from the stated/perceived problem

Question 24

What must you identify in an SCR analysis?

Answer 24

• Conclusions
• Evidence
• Assumptions
• S&W of each assumption
• Fallacies in logic

Question 25

What are the 11 fallacies in logic?

Answer 25

• Ambiguous/vague words
• Citing a questionable authority
• Straw person
• False dilemma
• Red herring
• Slippery slope
• Appeals to popularity
• A perfect solution
• False, incomplete, misleading facts/statements
• Causal oversimplifications
• Hasty generalisations

Question 26

What is not presented in SCR?

Answer 26

• People may omit significant information about an argument in order to make the answer clear (may happen when person is bias or has lack of knowledge for argument

Question 27

What are 6 types of socratic questions?

Answer 27

• Qs about the problem statement
• Q for clarification
• Q that probe assumptions
• Q that probe reasons & evidence
• Q about viewpoints & perspectives
• Q that probe implications & consequences

Question 28

What are the critical thinking actions?

Answer 28

• Predicting
• Analysing
• Information seeking
• Applying standards
• Discriminating
• Transforming knowledge
• Logical reasoning