Deindividuation, Social Loafing, and Group Dynamics in Social Psychology

What is deindividuation?

Taking on a new identity of the group while discarding individual morals

group provides you with anonymity and lessened responsibility

How does anonymity affect behavior in groups?

Anonymity can lead to increased willingness to engage certain behaviours people wouldn't engage in otherwise

Ex. study comparing willingness to talk in lit versus dark rooms - found people more likely to discuss intimate topics, hug or provide comfort in dark room.

Ex. 200/500 people engaged in violence did so anonamously - acts were more violent than if they were not anonamous

What was the finding of the trick-or-treating study related to deindividuation?

What is social loafing?

The tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group

- the more people in the group and easier the task is the more likely it will occur

What factors increase social loafing?

Social loafing is more likely to occur with larger groups and easier tasks where not all hands are needed.

How can social loafing be reduced in group projects?

By assigning individual responsibilities and holding members accountable

Social Facilitation : When does the presence of others help performance vs hinder performance?

Helps when the task is easy for you - can feed of the energy of others watching you do well

Hinders when it's something you're not good it - since you are already not comfortable

What determines if two heads are better than one in group tasks?

Depends on the task itself

If the task is divisible (can be broken down into sub-tasks) - Yes if each expert is qualified contributes their part

Or if the tasks is unitary and no division of labour is feasible

What is group polarization?

The phenomenon where new group members' attitudes become more extreme after joining and discussing with like-minded individuals causing their views to be reinforced and be stronger

What are some pros of brainstorming in groups?

It provides diverse opinions and fosters creativity by stimulating new ideas

What are some cons of group brainstorming?

It can overwhelm the main task, lead to hesitance in speaking up, can influence each other towards one direction and cause conflicts of ideas

(the way we brainstorm in a group is not the most effective way to generate ideas)

Other problems with brainstorming

Blocking - one person takes over the conversation supressing ideas of others

Waiting your turn to share - may cause you to forget your answer or lose interest

Process loss - Any aspect that inhibits good problem solving, (not listening to the most competent member, someone dominating the conversation )

Unique information is not shared

Evaluation apprehension and social desirability worry

Lazy group = you lazy too

What strategies can combat ineffective brainstorming?

Selecting a leader to ensure everyone is heard and having individuals prepare ideas to share one by one

- allows for better discussion

What was the outcome of comparing individual vs group brainstorming?

Individuals generated more unique ideas (about 20 each) compared to groups (about 6 per person). Individuals came up with more unique ideas

What is the escalation effect or sunk cost fallacy?

It's the commitment to a failing course of action, justifying investments already made

What is groupthink?

A phenomenon where the group prioritizes harmony and consensus, discouraging dissent or questioning (especially if there is a time crunch)

How can groupthink be prevented?

By assigning a devil's advocate, allowing anonymous opinions, engaging in counterfactual thinking, and dividing groups into subgroups that each take different positions

What is a social dilemma?

A situation where individual self-interest conflicts with the collective good "What's good for one is not good for all"

What is the prisoners dilemma?

A scenario where two arrested individuals must choose between betraying each other (their own interest) or remaining loyal (greater good/self sacrifice)

If neither confess they get a short sentence

If both betray and confess they get a moderate sentence

If one betrays and one doesn't - one pays the price while the other is free

What is the importance of trust in social dilemmas?

Trust is essential, if there is not mutual trust problems will escalate no matter what strategy

What is the ***-for-tat strategy?

A reciprocal strategy where cooperation is met with cooperation and competition with competition

Not equally powerful

Why is competition a strong determinant of reciprocity?

Competition does not require giving something up, while cooperation is often exploited

What are resource dilemmas?

Sharing a limited resource

Common dilemmas - overconsumption of limited resources

- we take too much and assume it will still be there

What is a public good dilemma?

individuals must contribute to a common pool, though taxes, but may not do so leading to collective suffering

- we assume everyone is contributing

What individual factors can reduce selfish behavior in social dilemmas?

Prosocial orientation - being part of something bigger than yourself makes you more likely to think about the greater good

Trusting others

What group factors can help mitigate selfish behaviour social dilemmas?

Acting as an individual rather than a group -allows you to retain your own values and responsibility

sharing a social identity or superordinate goals - ex. important to vote instead of not voting because we think someone else will do it however the totality of the response is what matters

What situational factors can influence behavior in social dilemmas?

Being in a good mood, past successful experiences, exposure to unselfish models (bandura), collectivist cultures

What structural factors can promote cooperative behavior?

Payoff structures that reward cooperation/punishes selfish behaviour

Establish an authority to monitor resource use - ex. parent checking if the kid takes more candy from the bowl

Removing resources from the public domain and handing them to private ownership - brings up level of responsibility

What is the win-stay, lose-shift strategy?

A strategy where individuals continue a successful approach and shift when they start losing

Ex. I will use competition and if i get it back I'll use it again. If i use cooperation and you use competition (i'm losing) I'll change my strategy

What can escalate conflict?

Threat capacity (coercive power) and perception of others, leading to an 'us vs. them' mentality.

What is dehumanization in conflict?

The process of perceiving a group as less than human, often justified by derogatory language.

What is essential for reducing conflict?

Building trust through negotiation and finding common ground.

What are integrative agreements?

Negotiated outcomes where both parties gain more than a simple 50/50 split by addressing specific needs.

What role do trained negotiators play?

They facilitate understanding of differing perspectives and help reach flexible agreements.

What is a superordinate identity?

A shared identity that fosters cooperation and collaboration among conflicting groups.

How can individuals act to reduce selfish behavior?

By retaining self-awareness and individual responsibility instead of passing responsibility to the group.

What is the impact of collectivist cultures on social dilemmas?

They may promote cooperation and a sense of responsibility towards the group.

Social Loafing in Unitary tasks

Additive task (each member performs the same duties and the final product is the sum of all contributions) - might get done but social loafing may get in the way

Conjunctive task (all group members must succeed for group success) - weakest member may slow them down

Disjunctive task (performance based on how well the most talented member does) - one person can raise the level of the group but the rest of the group must believe they are the smartest and let them lead