Chapter 16 Overview of Group Dynamics

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Chapter 16: Overview of Group Dynamics.

Group dynamics

The study of how groups develop, interact, and influence members and their environment; a subfield of organizational behavior coined by Kurt Lewin.

Group

Two or more people in social interaction with a stable structure, common interests or goals, and the perception of themselves as a group.

Group interaction

The process by which group members exchange verbal and nonverbal messages to influence one another; includes talking, listening, and nonverbal cues, measured with tools like sociograms and interaction analyses.

Sociogram

A pictorial map of group interactions showing who contributes, the direction of contributions, and the intensity of communication.

Bales's Interaction Process Analysis

A framework that classifies 12 types of group interactions into emotion (positive/negative) and task (information giving/asking) categories.

Group norms

Implied rules of conduct (written or unwritten) that guide acceptable behavior in a group and are sustained or enforced by sanctions.

Socialization

The process by which unwritten group norms become internalized as an individual's personal standards and behavior.

Cohesiveness

The degree of unity or camaraderie in a group, influenced by size, experience, status, and outside threats; smaller groups tend to be more cohesive; optimal size around five.

Optimal group size

An estimated ideal size for meaningful interaction and idea generation, often five members.

Social loafing

Decreased individual effort in a group as size increases, due to diffusion of responsibility; can be mitigated by accountability and identifiable contributions.

Conformity

The tendency to adjust perceptions or behaviors to match group norms; demonstrated in Sherif and Asch experiments as normative social influence.

Groupthink

A mode of thinking where the desire for harmony undermines critical thinking and leads to faulty decisions; eight symptoms identified by Janis.

Eight symptoms of groupthink

Illusion of invulnerability; belief in the group’s morality; rationalization; stereotypes of outsiders; self-censorship; illusion of unanimity; direct pressure on dissenters; mindguards.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

A motivational framework explaining why people join groups: belongingness, safety, esteem, and related social identities that groups help satisfy.

Task roles (Benne & Sheats)

Roles focused on task completion, e.g., Initiator-contributor, Information-seeker, Information-giver, Elaborator, Coordinator, Orienter, Evaluator-critic, Energizer, Procedural-technician.

Maintenance roles (Benne & Sheats)

Social roles that support group harmony, e.g., Encourager, Harmonizer, Gatekeeper/Expediter, Compromiser, Standard setter, Recorder, Group observer, Follower.

Individual roles (Benne & Sheats)

Roles that focus on individual needs and may hinder group goals, e.g., Aggressor, Blocker, Recognition seeker, Self-confessor, Dominator, Help seeker.

Belbin Team Roles

Nine personality-related roles for effective teams: Chairman/Coordinator, Shaper, Plant, Teamworker, Completer/Finisher, Company Worker/Implementer, Resource Investigator, Monitor/Evaluator, Specialist.

Interdisciplinary teams

Teams in health care composed of professionals from multiple disciplines to deliver integrated care.

The Interface of Me and Them

A model by Burton and Dimbleby showing how personal needs and self-concept shape group interactions; interactions are filtered through the self and the perceptions of others.

Safeguards against groupthink

Strategies to prevent groupthink: solicit outside opinions, appoint a devil’s advocate, hypothesize alternatives, and reconsider decisions after a waiting period.

Surgical Safety Checklist

A written World Health Organization checklist guiding pre-, intra-, and post-operative steps to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Limitations of sociograms

Sociograms map direction and intensity of communication but do not capture the content of what is communicated.

Non-group example

Two patients waiting in an emergency department are not a group because there is no interaction, no stable structure, and they do not perceive themselves as a group.