Group Dynamics and Influence

Flashcards of terms and definitions related to group dynamics and influence, based on the provided lecture notes.

Group Structure

The underlying pattern of roles, norms, and networks of relations among members that define and organize the group.

Norms

The emergent, consensual standards that regulate group members’ behaviors.

Prescriptive Norms

Define the socially appropriate way to respond in a social situation

Proscriptive Norms

Define the types of actions that should be avoided if at all possible

Task Role

Focuses on the group’s goals and on the member’s attempts to support one another as they work

Relationship role

Ensures that the interpersonal emotional needs of the members are met.

Roles

Coherent sets of behaviors expected of people in specific positions within a group or social settings.

Role often supersedes any particular group member.

Role Differentiation

Groups sometimes deliberately creates roles to organize the group and facilitate the attainment of the group’s goals.

As role differentiation processes unfold, the number of roles in the group increase, becoming more narrow and specialized in the process.

Group Socialization

Through assimilation, the individual accepts the group’s values and perspectives and Through accommodation, the group adapts to fit the newcomer’s needs.

Maintenance

The group and the individual negotiate the nature and quantity of the member’s expected contribution to the group.

EX: Being a teacher and demanding better pay for your work.

Resocialization

The former full member takes on the role of a marginal member, whose future in the group is uncertain.

Role Stress

Roles that people prefer are often prestigious and significant roles that require specialized skills and talents, roles people dislike Menial and unimportant roles that are unchallenging or uninvolving. Roles can be challenging when inconsistent with group members needs.

Role Conflict

Group members may occupy several roles at the same time, each role has different demands on their time and abilities.

Intrarole conflict

Results from contradictory demands within a single role.

Role and Well Being

Uncertainty about one’s role, including role ambiguity, role conflict, and poor role fit, results in stress and tension

Social Networks

Mapping relations among individuals in groups, organizations, and even larger collectives.

Status Network

Maps out the influence and authority structure of a group.

Attraction Network

Maps out the pattern of likes and dislikes in a group.

Communication Network

Maps out the flow of information through a group.

Compliance

Privately disagree with the group but publicly express an opinion that matches the opinion expressed by the majority of the group.

Conversion

Agreement indicates a true change of opinion.

Independence

The public expression of ideas, beliefs, and judgments that are consistent with personal standards.

Components of the Minority Influence

Requires coherent and compelling arguments and that the majority interprets the consistency positively. Also needs high levels of consistency.

The Diligence of Dissenters

Individuals who knew be arguing against the views of the majority prepared more diligently for their meetings.

Unanimity rules procedure

Often leads to compromise and fairer conditions for minority positions.

Dual Process Approaches

Conceptual analysis arguing that individuals change in response to direct forms of influence entail thoughtful elaborations to issues at hand. Indirect forms don’t require very much mental effort or elaboration.

Direct processes

Group members, confronted with an opinion that is different from their own, review the arguments, look for weaknesses, re-examine their own ideas on the topic and revise their position if revision is warranted

Power

Power is a potential to influence that is not actually put into practice because It is often rooted in inequalities in control over resources, outcomes, or activities.

Reward Power

Based on one’s control over the distribution of rewards given or offered to group members.

Coercive Power

Comes from one’s capacity to dispense punishments.

Power Tactics - Hard and Soft

Hard tactics are those that are harsh, forcing, or direct.

Relies on economic, tangible outcomes, such as impersonal rewards or threats to well being.

Soft tactics are tactics rely on collaboration, socializing, friendships, personal rewards, and ingratiation.
Exploits the relationship between the influencer and the target to extract compliance

Agentic State

Occurs when subordinates in an organized status hierarchy experience such a reduction in autonomy that they are unable to resist authorities’ orders.

Approach Theory

Associated with action, self-promotion, seeking rewards and opportunities, increased energy, and movement.

Soft influence tactics

More effective, Subordinates tend to reciprocate with cooperation.

Compliance

The group members do what they are told to do but only because the powerholder demands it.

Internalization

The individual adopts the induced behavior because it is congruent with his value system.

Leadership

Leaders and followers work together, exchanging their time, energies, and skills to increase their joint rewards because Legitimate influence rather than sheer power.

Task leadership

Focuses on the group’s work and its goals.

Zeitgeist Theory

The need for a leader is determined primarily by the “spirit of the times” rather than the characteristics people possess.

Dominant Behaviors

Behaviors that are easier to learn and perform than others.

Evaluation Apprehension

Individuals working in the presence of others experience a general concern for how others are evaluating them

Prejudices

Deeply ingrained negative attitudes about the members of other groups.

Process Losses in Groups

A reduction in performance effectiveness or efficiency caused by actions, operations, or dynamics that prevent the group from reaching its full potential.

Social Loading

Seems to go unrecognized by group members because the tendency for individuals to contribute less when they expect that others will think negatively of someone who works too hard

The Ringelmann Effect

Motivation losses and Coordination losses.

Maximizing task

A task or project that calls for a high rate of production

Optimizing task

A task or project that has a best solution and outcome and the quality of the group’s performance can be judged by comparing the product to a quality defining standard.

Conjunctive Tasks

A task that can be completed successfully only if all group members contribute.

Brainstorming

A method for enhancing creativity in groups that calls for heightened expressiveness, postponed evaluation, quantity rather than quality, and deliberate attempts to build on earlier ideas.

Brainstorming Process Loss

A loss of productivity that occurs when Group and procedural factors obstruct the group’s progress toward its goals.

Ways to Brainstorm

1. Be expressive 2. Postpone evaluation 3. Seek quantity 4. Piggyback ideas

Centralized Networks vs Decentralized Networks.

1 - Networks with a central basis of power solely at the top, being centralized entirely around them.

2 - Networks that don’t exactly have a centered point

Centralized networks typically outperform decentralized networks. As networks get more complex decentralized networks outperform the centralized ones. Easier to share load on complex issues in decentralized networks.

Influence

Interpersonal processes that produces change in other people. Typically flows from the group to the individual

Majority Influence vs Minority Influence

1 - Increases the consensus within the group
2 - Sustains individuality and innovation

Cognitive Dissonance

The negative psychological reaction to discovering one has wandered outside the group’s norms.

Facing Pressure Alone

Facing the majority of pressure alone will cause a single person to bear 100% of the group’s pressure.

Conformity across indivdiuals

Conformists are more rigid in their methods of thinking. Generally conservative and unwilling to confront authority increases their willingness to accept the majority’s opinion

Consolidation

As individuals interact with one another regularly, their actions, attitudes, and opinions become more uniform and the minority dwindles in size.

Correlation

Over time, the group members’ opinions converge, so that their opinions to become correlated.

Clustering

People are more influenced by their closest neighbors, so clusters of group members with similar opinions emerge in groups.

Continuing Diversity

Because of clustering, minorities beliefs continue within the group.

Power is a Group Level Process

“You cannot be powerful on an island of one”
We socially agree to a fact that someone else should have more power than another.

Impersonal Rewards

Material resources, things that come out of necessity like food, shelter, protection, promotions, wages, etc.

Personal Rewards

Positive interpersonal reinforcements, such as verbal approbation, compliments, smiles, and promises of liking or acceptance

Legitimate Power

People who have legitimate power have the socially sanctioned right to ask others to obey their orders.

People who achieve a position of authority through legitimacy find that their decisions are accepted without resistance by their respected group.

Referent Power

Individuals with referent power lie at the interpersonal center of the group.

Group members seek out close association with respective attractive group members, someone to “show them the way"

Expert Power

Group members often defer to and take the advice of those who seem to possess superior skills and abilities. A person does not actually need to be an expert to acquire expert power.

Power Tactics - Rational and Irrational

1. Emphasizes reasoning, logic, and good judgment. Relies on bargaining and persuasion.

2. Emphasizes ingratiation and evasion. Relying on emotionality and misinformation

Harsh influence Tactics

EX: Punishment, legitimate authority and nonpersonal rewards.

Tend to be less effective and generate hostility, depression, fear, and anger.

When do Leaders Appear in Groups?

1) If members feel that success of the group task is within their reach

2) The reward of success are valued
3) The task requires group effort than individual effort
4) An individual with previous experience in the leadership role is present in the group

Great Leader Theory

Successful leaders possess “Certain characteristics” that mark them for greatness.

Interactional Approach

Asserts that traits and situations interact determine who will lead and who will not.