Small Group Communication: Exam 2 Review

group culture

the pattern of values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors that is shared by group members and shapes a group’s individual personality

primary behaviors during initial primary tension

extreme politeness, long pauses, yawning, and sighing

best ways to treat extending periods of secondary tension

openly discuss what is producing the tension, the feelings, and what to do

symbolic convergence theory

storytellers who share meaning through talk (explains how groups form a shared identity and consciousness through the sharing of narratives or “fantasies” that create a common understanding and cohesion)

exit phase

phase of group socialization in which the committee no longer has a need to exist

fantasy

a statement not pertaining to the here and now of the group that offers a creative and meaningful interpretation of events and meets a group’s psychological or rhetorical needs

example of legitimate power

the right of a committee chair to call committee meetings

example of high self-monitoring

Keisha always seems to know the right thing to say at the right time

leadership

communication that modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others in order to meet group goals

referent power

power that is based on attraction or identification with another person

leadership emergence

the process whereby one individual who starts out on an equal basis with other members but who emerges to be perceived as the group’s leader

laissez faire leader

leader who is most likely to say, “I don’t care. Whatever you do is fine with me.”

democratic leader

egalitarian leader who coordinates and facilitates discussion in small groups, encouraging participation of all members

autocratic leader

leader who tries to dominate and control a group

traits approach

the examination of characteristics relating to leadership such as enthusiasm, verbal facility, creativity, critical thinking ability, and self-confidence

agenda

a list of items to be discussed at a group meeting

minutes

should be distributed before the next meeting

leadership behaviors in structuring discussion

managing time, using summaries to create transitions between items, and keeping discussions goal-oriented

leader

is responsible for notifying members of the purpose, time, and place of a meeting, as well as any other necessary preparations required before the meeting takes place

parking lot

placing an item for future consideration on a note that was not initially on the meeting’s agenda

the assembly effect

better than adding or averaging individual judgements of a group’s members (the phenomenon where a group’s performance exceeds the capabilities of its most skilled member or the combined efforts of individuals, demonstrating a synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts)

good conjunctive tasks

each group member possesses information relevant to solving a problem

fact

a verifiable observed event

overgeneralization

the tendency to interpret a single negative event as a never ending pattern of defeat and failure

evaluative criteria for internet sources

accuracy, recency, audience and purpose, coverage

Tuckman’s four phases for small groups

forming, storming, norming, performing

forming phase

stage in which the group gets to know each other

storming phase

the stage in which disagreements and conflict arise

norming phase

the stage in which norms and expectations are established following the storming phase

performing phase

“efficient” stage in which members are able to work together and accomplish tasks

four phases in decision making theorized by Fisher

orientation, conflict, decision emergence, reinforcement

orientation phase

phase in which group members get to know each other and the conflict at hand

conflict phase

phase in which different perspectives and potential solutions are discussed, leading to some tensions

emergence phase

phase in which the group works toward a consensus, finding some common ground

reinforcement phase

phase in which a final decision is solidified

agreement

characterizes groupthink discussions

consensus

the most satisfying form of decision making for a small group

leader decision making

lacks input from others and may be a decision of less quality

decision by majority vote

the method of group decision making most commonly used in the U.S.

fallacy

an error in reasoning (logic)

critical thinking

evaluating all information and reasoning, then making a decision

ad hominem argument

an argument attacking an individual’s character rather than his or her position on an issue

step 1 of P-MOPS

problem description and analysis

step 2 of P-MOPS

generating and elaborating on possible solutions

step 3 of P-MOPS

evaluating possible solutions

step 4 of P-MOPS

consensus decision making

step 5 of P-MOPS

implementing the chosen solution

PERT meaning

program evaluation and review technique

P-MOPS meaning

procedural model of problem solving

problem characteristic of task difficulty

refers to the problem’s complexity

problem characteristic of solution multiplicity

refers to the number of conceivable or feasible alternatives for solving the problem

problem characteristic of intrinsic interest

defined by Shaw as “the degree to which the task in and of itself is interesting, motivating, and attractive to the group members”

problem characteristic of cooperative requirements

the degree to which coordinated efforts are essential to satisfactory completion of a task

problem characteristic of population familiarity

the level of members’ knowledge about and previous experience with the task