group processes Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is a group, according to Johnson & Johnson (1987)?
Two or more individuals in face-to-face interaction, aware of their membership, each other, and their positive interdependence toward mutual goals.
Why did Allport (1924) argue individual study was enough for group understanding?
He believed that understanding individuals would explain groups, as groups are collections of individuals.
What are Lickel et al.’s (2000) different types of groups?
Intimate groups, task-focused groups, social categories, loose associations, transitory groups, minimal groups.
What did Tajfel et al. (1971) show about minimal groups?
Even arbitrary group assignments can cause in-group favouritism.
What is social facilitation?
Improved performance on easy tasks due to the presence of others.
What is social inhibition?
Worsened performance on difficult tasks due to the presence of others.
What did Triplett (1898) find in his cycling and fishing line studies?
Performance improved when competing or observed by others.
What is Zajonc’s (1965) Drive Theory?
Presence of others increases arousal, boosting dominant responses (facilitation for easy tasks, inhibition for difficult tasks).
What is evaluation apprehension theory (Cottrell, 1972)?
Arousal stems from perceived evaluation, not just mere presence.
What did Markus (1978) find about social presence and task difficulty?
Attentive audiences improved easy task performance but had little effect on difficult tasks.
What did Schmitt et al. (1986) conclude about evaluation apprehension?
Evaluation sometimes matters but mere presence can still affect performance.
What is distraction-conflict theory?
Distraction from co-actors or stimuli increases arousal and may hinder performance.
What is social loafing?
Reduced individual effort in group tasks compared to working alone.
What did Ringelmann (1913) discover about group effort?
People exerted less force in larger groups pulling a rope.
What are causes of social loafing?
Coordination loss, motivation loss, output equity, evaluation apprehension.
How can social loafing be reduced?
By increasing identifiability and individual responsibility (Williams et al., 1981; Harkins & Petty, 1982).
How does culture affect social loafing?
Western cultures focus on individual outcomes; Eastern cultures value group harmony (Karau & Williams, 1993).
What is group polarisation?
Group discussion strengthens existing attitudes, making them more extreme.
When is group problem-solving most effective?
When groups are small, critique each other, and include individual brainstorming (Brown & Paulus, 2002).
What is groupthink (Janis, 1982)?
When a cohesive group suppresses objections to maintain harmony, leading to poor decisions.
