PSYC 3220: Intro to Group Dynamics

Group Dynamics

goal orientation, interdependent, interpersonal interaction, perception of membership, structured relations, mutual influence, individual motivation.

Group defined

Two or more individuals, who interact and are aware of their interdependence, their group membership and of the others who are apart of the group.

Group dynamics research

Group composition and classification, group structure, group development, intra- and intergroup relations, group process, group performance.

Why is it important to study group dynamics

Groups are essential to out health and well-being. We draw some of our identify from the groups we belong to.

Some key questions in group dynamics

How are group structured? How do groups form rules? How do groups change over time? What makes an effective group?

Role Differentiation

Describes the process through which group members come to occupy specific roles within the group.

Social Role Theory

Amongst others, asserts that roles exert a strong situational influence of our behaviour, and hence can exert powerful effects on groups.

Group Task roles

Help group members to achieve the group’s goals.

Initiator-contributor

Often contributes new ideas to the group.

Information seeker

Often looks for clarity and factual confirmation relating to suggestions made by other group members.

Opinion seeker

Often asks for other group member’s views and evaluations.

Information giver

Often contributes relevant facts and personal observations relevant to the issues at hand.

Opinion giver

Often forwards personal beliefs and views about suggestions.

Elaborator

Often gives additional examples and rationales for suggestions made.

Coordinator

Often attempts to bring different suggestions together and to organize others to work together effectively.

Orienter

Often offers summaries of what has been accomplished or suggested, in addition to querying the direction of group activities when necessary.

Evaluator-critic

Often gives assessments of where the group is in terms of accomplishing its goals.

Energizer

Often helps to stimulate group decision-making and actions.

Procedural technician

Often helps the group by performing necessary logistical tasks, including providing materials, rearranging seating, taking care of technological requirements.

Recorder

Often takes written records of group activities, including minutes, memo, lists of goals.

Group Maintenance roles

Help group members to build and sustain strong.

Encourager

Often offers praise and acceptance of others ideas, and invites others to contribute.

Harmonizer

Often tries to seeks to reduce or diffuse conflict. Tactics can include: Focusing on common ground, using humour and downplaying differences.

Compromizer

Is often willing to reach agreement through, for example, yielding status, accepting responsibility for mistake and modifying suggestions and demands.

Gatekeeper or expediter

Often helps others to communicate clearly and facilitates others’ involvement in the group. Gatekeepers sometimes actively observe and manage the length and frequency of others’ contributions.

Standard setter

Often offers standards for the group to evaluate itself against and seeks to ensure that these standards are met.

Group observer or commentator

Often observes group process and can forward assessments of this to the other group members.

Follower

Often accepts others’ suggestions and seeks to carry them out.

Individual roles

Are those which are focused more on meeting individual, as opposed to group, aims.

Aggressor

Often seeks to assert dominance over other group members. Tactics can include destructive criticism and personal attacks.

Blocker

Often tries to resist and criticize group suggestion, as well as moving discussion backwards to points on which there had been broad agreement previously.

Recognition seeker

Often tries to focus group members attention on himself or herself. Tactics can include over-takativeness and frequent use of personal disclosures that may not be relevant to the issues at hand and boastfulness.

Playboy

Often shows disinterest and disengagement from the group, and seeks status from this. Tactics from the group, and seeks status from this. Tactics may include cynicism and acting out.

Dominator

Often seeks to demonstrate superiority over other group members. Tactics can include interrupting others, and not listening and giving unprompted directions.

Self-confessor

Often expresses personal feelings and problems which are not relevant to the task at hand.

Arguer

Often seeks to disagree with other group members. This can include continuing to argue against the rest of the group when they all have reached consensus.

Role ambiguity

Lack of clarity as the requirements of a role either to the occupier, group, or both.

Interrole conflict

When different roles compete for occupant time or attention, or when an individual occupies two or more roles with incompatible requirements.

Intrarole conflict

When there are contradictory requirements within a single role.

Person-role conflict

When the requirements of a role conflict with the values, attitudes, personality or preferences of the individual occupant.

Group norms

Help to define acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in a group.

Injunctive norms

Described the aspired to behaviours of group members.

Prescriptive norms

Things you shouldn’t do

Proscriptive norms

Things you should do

Reference groups

They are often carried over by group members in the current group from those members’ past group experiences.

Four main reasons that norms are so central to group functioning

They help to express and define the central values of a group; they facilitate cooperation by identifying shared standards of conduct, which in turn are easier to predict, they help group members to readily identify appropriate behaviours, helping them to avoid embarrassment, norm groups to build identity, through differentiation from other groups.

Sequential or Successive stage theories

Which attempt to describe commonly experienced transitions in group development and process.

Forming

Which is characterized by group members striving to identify their place within the group, as well as attempting to set out the groups’ procedures.

Storming

Defines a time when group members strive to resist some of the influence of the group and/or leadership. This period can be marked by conflicts and rebellion.

Norming

Then usually takes over, as the group identifies common rules and norms, in addition to outling and assigning roles.

Peforming

Is the stage when most of the most productive and cooperative work is done in the group.

Adjourning

Where the focus shifts to managing the ending of the group.