PSYCH 241 - CHAPTER 6: Group Processes

group

3 or more people connected through social relationships

> allows for more complex social interactions not seen in dyads

> help us meet our basic, and psychological needs

dyads

2 people connected by social relationships

entativity

the degree to which a group of people appears as a cohesive entity

> including visual attributes (similarity, proximity, synchonity), and structural features (interaction, shared goals, interdependence)

visual elements of entativity

proximity (physically), similarity (visually), common fate (synchony)

structural elements of entativity

interaction (communication and working together), shared goals (the group all have the same goal), common outcome (the whole group gets the same outcome), importance of the group (memebers value being in the group)

ex. a basketball team

variations in entitativity

loose associations (people at a concert), social categories (gender, nationality), task groups (disband once task is completed; jury), intimacy groups (family, friends)

social facilitation

when performance improves in the presence of others

> more common for simple tasks

social inhibition

when performance worsens in the presence of others

> more common for complex tasks

drive theory

the presence of others creates physiological arousal, which makes the dominant response more likely

dominant response

the most familiar or well-learned response

- if the dominant response is correct = social facilitation

- if the dominant response is incorrect = social inhibition

ex. someone who is bad at public speaking would start to sweat when put in that position

evaluation apprehension

concern about being evaluated by others

> causes physiological arousal, which causes the dominant response