Unit 8: Chapter 8-Group Processes Flashcards
(23 cards)
Distinguish between a group and a collective.
A set of individuals who interact over time and have shared fate, goals, or identity.
collectives—people engaging in a common activity but having little direct interaction with each other
Why do people join a group?
Its the way to achieve larger goals.
Also, people are biologicll ylinked to be part of packs, self esteem, security and self worth are all tied to a person’s group ties
Describe the function of roles, norms, and the cohesiveness of a group, and explain their influence on group behaviour.
Roles, an individuals responsibility in a group (formal &/or informal)
Norms, rules of conduct for members
Cohesiveness, The extent to which forces push group members closer together, such as through feelings of intimacy, unity, and commitment to group goals.
Define social facilitation. Explain how, according to Zajonc, the mere presence of others affects performance of different tasks.
A process whereby the presence of others enhances performance on easy tasks but impairs performance on difficult tasks.
1) The presence of others creates general physiological arousal, which energizes behavior.
2) Increased arousal enhances an individual’s tendency to perform the dominant response. The dominant response is the reaction elicited most quickly and easily by a given stimulus.
3) The quality of an individual’s performance varies according to the type of task. On an easy task the dominant response is usually correct or successful. But on a difficult task the dominant response is often incorrect or unsuccessful
Describe two alternative explanations for the social facilitation phenomenon.
Evaluation apprehension theory- A theory that the presence of others will produce social facilitation effects only when those others are seen as potential evaluators.
Distraction conflict theory- We’re torn between focusing on the task and glancing at the distracting stimulus. When we are conflicted about where to pay attention, our arousal increases.
It seems likely that all three of the basic elements described by these theories (mere presence, evaluation, and attention) can contribute to the impact others have on our own performance
Describe the social loafing phenomenon.
A group-produced reduction in individual output on tasks where contributions are pooled.
What is the collective effort model?
The theory that individuals will exert effort on a collective task to the degree that they think their individual efforts will be important, relevant, and meaningful for achieving outcomes that they value.
Identify factors that can reduce the likelihood of social loafing occurring when in a group.
It will decrease if a person really cares about the project, it will also decrease the more the responsibility of the individual becomes noticed/witnessed/evaluated as explained by the collective effort model.
Define deindividuation.
The loss of a person’s sense of individuality and the reduction of normal constraints against deviant behavior. For example, in a riot you sort of become a face in the crowd and not single handedly responsible for even for the damage you specifically caused.
Philip Zimbardo (1969) observed that arousal, anonymity, and reduced feelings of individual responsibility together contribute to deindividuation
How can environmental cues and a sense of social identity affect the deindividuation process?
Two types of environmental cue accountability and attentional
Accountability cues affect the individual’s cost–reward calculations. When accountability is low, those who commit deviant acts are less likely to be caught and punished,
Attentional cues focus a person’s attention away from the self. In this state, the individual attends less to internal standards of conduct, reacts more to the immediate situation, and is less sensitive to long-term consequences of behavior
Define process loss and process gain when working in a group.
Loss-The reduction in group performance due to obstacles created by group processes, such as problems of coordination and motivation.
Gain-
In what ways does group performance vary with the type of task performed in a group?
addative tasks-groups have an advantage but suffer from social loafing
conjunctive (results from worst individual) groups suffer from this
Disjunctive (by best performance) groups have advantage but still have social loafing.
Define group polarization.
The exaggeration of initial tendencies in the thinking of group members through group discussion. (group moving towards the general attitude of the group even if it is in fact more balanced-quiet group gets more quiet etc)
Summarize the explanations for group polarization occurring in group discussions.
According to persuasive arguments theory, the greater the number and persuasiveness of the arguments to which group members are exposed, the more extreme their attitudes become.
Another set of explanations is based on how people compare themselves with fellow group members and categorize themselves as distinct from outgroup members.-if believing X is good in this group, then believing twice X may be even better.
Define groupthink.
A group decision-making style characterized by an excessive tendency among group members to seek concurrence.
What are the antecedents, behavioural symptoms, and consequences of groupthink?
How can groupthink be prevented?
How do information sharing, transactive memory, and goal setting in a group affect the group’s performance?
Define a social dilemma.
What are the variables that determine if people will compete or cooperate in a social dilemma?
Describe the prisoner’s dilemma
Describe the resource dilemma.
What is the benefit of reaching an integrative agreement in the resolution of a conflict? Why does such an agreement not happen often?
