Lesson 18: Components of Groups

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the use of experimental and correlational research methods and their appropriate applications in the social sciences.
Identify the major theoretical perspectives in psychology, including behaviorist, cognitive, and psychodynamic.
Recognize the role of biological processes in human behavior.
Identify some of the major subdisciplines in the field of psychology, such as clinical/counseling psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology.

Identify (mostly cognitive) principles underlying how people interact with others.
Play collaborative games designed to illustrate principles when working in groups.

Attitudes: How a person feels about something; they can be simple or complex.
Attributions: Explanations of why people behaved a certain way.
Coercion: Forcing individuals to change their beliefs or behavior.
Cognitive Dissonance: Tension that occurs when an individual holds conflicting attitudes or beliefs.
Conformity: Aligning one’s behaviors and attitudes with group norms.
Deindividuation: Loss of self-awareness in groups leading to behaviors that individuals might not engage in alone.
Social Loafing: Occurs when group members exert less effort in a team than when working alone.
Groupthink: A situation where the desire for conformity in a group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.

Social psychology focuses on group interaction and the influence of cultural norms on behavior.
Qualities of Groups: Groups vary in structure, and they have unspoken rules, roles, and responsibilities.
- Group cohesion relates to how closely individuals within a group stick together, affecting their ability to work effectively.
- Membership in groups impacts identity, with In-group bias favoring members of the same group.
Social Identity Theory highlights that group affiliation is a significant aspect of self-concept.

Attitudes can be assessed through surveys and interviews, and they may change based on new experiences or information.
- Attitude Accessibility refers to how easily an attitude can be retrieved and applied in behavior.
- Attitudes can be explicit (consciously known) or implicit (automatic and unconscious).

Attributions serve to explain behavior, classified into personal (internal qualities) and situational (external environment) categories.
The Just World Hypothesis incorrectly suggests that victims deserve their fates, contributing to victim-blaming narratives.
The Fundamental Attribution Error signifies the tendency to overemphasize personal traits while underestimating situational factors.
Actor/Observer Bias illustrates how people attribute their own actions to environmental factors while attributing others’ actions to their character.

Developed by Leon Festinger, cognitive dissonance illustrates the discomfort felt when one’s beliefs and behaviors are not aligned.
This can lead individuals to adjust their beliefs or emphasize the positive aspects of their decisions post-facto to resolve dissonance.

Social Facilitation indicates that performance can improve in the presence of others on well-practiced tasks but may suffer on difficult tasks due to social interference.
- Group Polarization suggests that discussion within a group can lead to more extreme positions than individuals would endorse alone.
Compliance and Obedience: Compliance can be influenced by mood, while obedience reflects how individuals respond to authority figures, as evidenced in Milgram’s obedience experiments.

Persuasion involves influencing attitudes or behaviors through communication, and effectiveness can vary greatly based on the source and content of the message.
- The Elaboration Likelihood Model describes the differing levels of persuasion through central and peripheral routes.
Coercion often involves manipulation to enforce behavioral changes; methods can include brainwashing and the influence of cult leaders.

Let’s Talk! Discuss the hidden influence of social networks in your life, their positive or negative impacts, and the implications for individual change.
Let’s Play! Engage in games that foster connections and allow personal revelations about group dynamics and individual interactions.