group dynamics week seven

Lewins law of interactionism

group members reactions (B) are a function of members personal qualities (P) and the social/physical environment (E) where the group is located

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B = f(P,E)

group ecology

the study of interactions among the living (the group and its members) and the nonliving (setting) components of a groups environment,

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emphasis is placed on the spatial arrangements of individuals in small groups

ambience

the psychological reaction evoked by a setting, includes mood, feelings, and emotions

two basic questions when evaluating an environment

how pleasant is the place? (pos. vs. neg.)

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how arousing is the place? (relaxing vs. activating)

overload

a psychological reaction to situations and experiences that are so stimulating they exceed your capacity to process incoming information, this type of environment may be distracting

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impairs functioning even in highly productive teams,

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cope with this by reducing contact w/ others, limiting information they process and ignoring aspects of the situation

(KAPLAN) attention restoration theory (ART)

this theory is a conceptual analysis of the cognitive processes that sustain high-level executive functioning, includes attentional focus and self-regulation

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(direct attention is mentally draining)

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assumes cognitive resources can be recharged through interactions with natural environments

effect of temperature on stress

different temperatures associated with different characteristics

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warm people= intelligent, skillful, practical

cold people= unhappy, irritable, unpopular, not funny

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warm environment is associated with interpersonal warmth

(when people feel interpersonally close to others they rate the room temp as higher)

extreme and unusual environments (EUEs)

environmental contexts that are unlike those where humans usually live

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confined/isolated environments and harsh environments tend to overwhelm lone individuals but groups tend to take precautions to make environments safer

(HALL) intimate zones

(HALL) zones which are appropriate for the most involving and personal behaviors

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sensory information concerning the other person is detailed, stimulus of the person dominates the perceptual field

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sex, hugging, dancing, comforting

(HALL) personal zones

(HALL) zones for a wide range of small group experiences

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other person can be touched if you reach out, gaze can be directed away

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conversations, car travel, watching TV

(HALL) social zones

(HALL) zones for more routine transactions

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visual inputs dominate other senses, voice levels normal, appropriate distance for many social gatherings

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dining, meeting with colleagues, interacting w/receptionist

(HALL) public zones

(HALL) zones for more formal meetings

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sensory inputs less effective, voices may need to be amplified, facial expressions unclear

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lectures, plays, ballet

(HALL) remote zones

(HALL) sones which include virtual communication, not face-to-face

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different locations, primarily verbal inputs and nonverbal cues depending on form of communication (video/phone)

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chats, phone calls, online gaming

equilibrium model of communication

explains the distance in interpersonal settings

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states that the amount of eye contract and intimacy of the topic influence the amount of personal space members require

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nonverbal cues interact to influence perceptions of intimacy

(BURGOON) expectancy violations theory

identifies the types of messages that distance can signal

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sitting close = warmth and acceptance, dominance, equality, or task orientation

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one study: closer proximity signaled dominance, similarity, and composure however this changed when the person leaned forward, then it became warm and acceptable

density

number of individuals per unit of space

crowding

a psychological reaction that occurs when individuals feel that the amount of space available to them is insufficient for their needs

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sometimes this can be enjoyable, for instance at a concert, it all depends on the situation

causal attribution

label people use to interpret their arousal, can determine consequences of crowding

density-intensity hypothesis

an explanation of crowding that predicts that high density makes unpleasant situations more unpleasant, but pleasant situations more pleasant

socio**petal** spaces

spaces that promote interaction among group members, including seating arrangements that facilitate conversation.

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work by increasing eye contact, encouraging talking and facilitating intimacy

socio**fugal** spaces

spaces that discourage or prevent interaction among group members

Steinzor effect

the tendency for members of a group to speak immediently after the person sitting opposite to them

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therefore, people have an easier time observing and listening to those in the center of their visual field, those that are in the center are stronger stimuli than those in the periphery

head-of-the-table effect

the tendency for group members to associate the leadership role and its responsibilities with whoever is seated at the head of the table

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western cultures mostly

primary territories/first place

territories with a high degree of control and long term claim

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your house

secondary territories/second place

territories with a moderate degree of control and temporary by recurrent claim

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seat in a classroom, work

public territories/third place

territories with a low degree of control and no duration of claim

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elevator, beach

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place where group members meet informally, can be online

group space

a temporary spatial boundary that forms when a group interacts, serves as a barrier to unwanted intrusion by nonmembers

home advantage

tendency for groups and individuals to gain an advantage over others when interacting in their home territory

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often more assertive when you’re on your own turf

benefits of territories

comfort,

control,

privacy,

positive interpersonal communication

undifferentiated societies

societies that often do not divide up space

(BARKER) person-place-fit model

in most settings, people adapt to fit the requirements of the place

behavioral settings (BARKER)

(BARKER)

physically and temporally (time) bounded social situations that determine the actions of the individuals in those settings

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specific spatial areas w/ boundaries that identify line between different behavior settings

synomorphy (BARKER)

(BARKER)

the quality of the fit between the human occupants and the physical situation

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in some settings the people are embedded in the place itself

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when this is high, people use objects in the setting appropriately, place and person are unified

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when this is low, people do not mesh well with the space

(WICKER) staffing theory

an ecological analysis of behavior settings, argues that both understaffing and overstaffing can be detrimental to group performance

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**overstaffed groups** tend to be more dismissive, less interdependence, little concern for overall group performance, perceive person over job, less willing to help others

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**understaffed groups** tend to be more engaged, provide feedback, perceive job over person, more concern over continuation of the group, reluctant to reject low performing members

Hives (types of group members)

needed by group members who function as worker bees, perform individualized routine tasks, require little interaction with other members.

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function well in cubicles

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low interaction and low autonomy

cells (types of group members)

needed by group members who work on complex, long term, individualized projects, need private space to carry out work

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can work well from home

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low interaction and high autonomy

dens (types of group members)

needed by group members who are similar in terms of skills and responsibilities, need to work together on specific, short-term projects with high information exchange

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open spaces

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high interaction and low autonomy

clubs (types of group members)

needed by group members who are talented, well trained, or possess very specialized skills needed on diverse tasks with high collaboration, but they also need their own spaces sometimes

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flexible workspaces

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high interaction and high autonomy

collective

a relatively large group of people who respond in a similar way to an event or situation

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crowds, collective movements, and gatherings (well organized)

gatherings

well organized, combine aspects of smaller groups with qualities found in larder more amorphous crowds, assemble for a specific purpose

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linked by common focus (a line) not by relations, so these do not last long

crowd srystal

one or more individuals who draw attention to themselves/some event and prompt others to join them by becoming a focal point

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not an audience because audiences are there specifically to watch a specific thing

MACPHAIL elementary behaviors common to crowds

movement, positioning, manipulation, gesticulation (gesturing), verbalization, vocalization, and orientation

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does not include mayhem as this man for some reason said he did not observe crowds acting in inappropriate ways

mob

a disorderly, emotionally charged crowd in motion

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tend to form when some event evokes the same kind of effect in a substantial number of people

panics

crowds characterized by fear, anxiety, and fright

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**acquisitive ____:** facing scarcity, desire to acquire this resource triggers loss of self-regulation

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**escape ____:** when a large number of people face danger, desire to escape causes lack of coordination of movement

queueing effect

panics as queue failures, occurs when members of delayed queues tend to inch forward, creating the illusion of progress but compressing the crowd

collective movements

movements characterized by diffusion of ideas and opinions throughout a population.

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large group of individuals widely dispersed over space and time who display similar activities, reactions, interests

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ex. rumors, mass delusions, trends

mass delusion

mass hysteria, spontaneous outbreak of atypical thoughts, feelings and actions in a group

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psychogenic illness, hallucinations, bizarre actions

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can be solved by emphasizing psychological root, altering the setting, or providing people with accurate information

social movement

a collective movement making a deliberate, organized attempt to achieve a change or resist a change in a social system

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four types:

* reformist: improve existing institutions
* revolutionary: make sweeping changes in existing institutions
* reactionary: resist change or reinstate extinct social systems
* communitarian: create more ideal living conditions (cults)

political opportunity theory

in order to succeed, a movement needs to take advantage of any and all political opportunities

resource mobilization theory

successful movements must identify and marshal sources of support for the movement

framing theory

movement require a meaningful account of their nature, objectives, and goals

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people must know what the movement stands for

contagion

the spread of behaviors, attitudes, and affect through crowds/gatherings from one member to another

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can generate a cascade of change that flows through the group

(LE BON) crowd psychology

a crowd of people could, in certain instances, become a unified entity that acts as if guided by a single collective mind, changes individual from rational to impulse extreme follower

interpretive vs. circular reactions

* careful reflection before the action

vs.
* no examination before the action

convergence theory

explanation of collective behavior that assumes that individuals with similar needs, values, or goals tend to converge to form a single group

types of deprivation

* relative: feel like in comparison to others (grades, achievements, status) you are inadequate
* egoistic: feel like your outcomes are inferior to others’ outcomes
* fraternal: feel like your group’s outcomes are inferior to other groups’ outcomes, you may feel like joining another group, or bully other groups (often experienced by social movements)

deindividuation

experiential state caused by several input factors that is characterized by the loss of self-awareness, altered experiencing, and atypical behavior

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anonymity

primary condition for de-individuation, allows individual to disguise themselves

diffusion of responsibility

caused by being in a collective, no single individual feels responsible for their actions

positive deindividuation

deindividuation where people express feelings they previously kept private, but these feelings are positive not negative

emergent norm theory

explanation of collective behavior suggesting that the uniformity in behavior often observed in collectives is caused by members’ conformity to unique normative standards that have developed spontaneously in those groups

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extreme = baiting crowds

baiting crowds

crowds where people torment or goad others, becomes more likely as group size increases

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events that take place seem strange to outsiders, but to those in the crowd they are normal and appropriate

social identity model of de-individuation effects (SIDE)

argues that people’s social identities are actually amplified when they are members of a collective

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joining a collective doesn’t lead to deindividuation but a de-personalized sense of self that reflects group-level qualities

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define themselves in terms of the prototypical member

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presence of an outgroup increases feelings of collective identity, and members see themselves in terms that reflect ingroup-outgroup bias

identity affirmation approach to collective behavior

suggests that group members who feel lost in a group will try to re-establish their individual identities (individuation process)