Group Processes

These flashcards cover key concepts related to group processes, including definitions and phenomena associated with group dynamics.

What is a Group?

A set of individuals who interact over time and have a shared fate, goals, or identity.

Group Cohesion

The degree to which a group is unified, leading members to feel committed, positively toward each other, and source of pride.

Social Loafing

A reduction in individual effort on tasks where contributions are pooled, often leading to less effort in group settings.

Social Facilitation

The tendency for the presence of other people to enhance individual performance on easy tasks but hinder it on difficult tasks.

Deindividuation

The loss of a person's sense of individuality and reduction of normal constraints against deviant behavior in group settings.

Group Polarization

The enhancement or exaggeration of initial tendencies of a group following group discussion.

Groupthink

A group decision-making style characterized by an excessive tendency among group members to seek agreement, suppress dissent, and make faulty decisions.

Social Dilemma

A situation where self-interested choices by everyone would create the worst outcome for the group.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A scenario involving two criminals where cooperation provides the best outcome; each can choose to betray the other or remain silent.

Resource Dilemmas

Situations where fear and greed encourage competition, while trust and cooperation promote collaborative solutions.