Lecture 9 - Group Processes

Group Processes and Decisions

• Columbia Disaster:
  • Example of group processes failing.
  • Low-level engineer identified critical issue but was ignored by management.

What is a Group?

• Definition:
  • A group consists of two or more people interacting who are interdependent.
  • Dyad: 2 people
  • Groups typically range from 2-6 individuals; larger groups tend to lose interdependence.

Why Do People Join Groups?

• Evolutionary Perspective:
  • Groups enhance survival advantages, fulfill basic human needs for social connectivity (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).
  • Social rejection can influence physical perception (Ijzerman & Semin, 2010).
• Benefits of Groups:
  • Faster task accomplishment
  • Information sharing
  • Identity formation
  • Establishing social norms.

Composition and Functions of Groups

• Social Norms:
  • Established acceptability of behaviors and consequences for violations.
• Social Roles:
  • Clearly defined roles that create expectations, which can influence individual identity (e.g., Zimbardo's prison experiment).

Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Study

• Study Overview:
  • Participants assigned roles as prisoners or guards.
  • Roles were quickly adopted resulting in abusive behavior by guards and passive behavior by prisoners.
  • The study was terminated after 6 days due to ethical concerns.

Group Cohesiveness

• Definition:
  • The qualities that bond group members together.
  • High cohesiveness often increases loyalty and participation in group activities.
• Implications:
  • Cohesive groups perform better on cooperative tasks but may underperform when relationship maintenance overshadows task efficiency.

Group Diversity

• Definition:
  • Diversity includes different ages, sexes, beliefs, races, and opinions.
  • Homogeneous groups (similar members) tend to be more cohesive, while diverse groups tend to perform better overall.

Individual Behavior in a Group Setting

• Social Facilitation:
  • Performance is better on simple tasks but worse on complex tasks in the presence of others.
  • Examples:
  • Cockroach Study:
    • Simple vs. complex maze tasks demonstrated varying performance levels in the presence of an audience.

Arousal and Performance

• Physiological Arousal:
  • Presence of others increases arousal, enhancing performance on simple tasks but impairing complex ones.
• Evaluation Apprehension:
  • Increased awareness of being evaluated causes distraction and heightened arousal.

Social Loafing

• Definition:
  • Reduced individual output in group tasks when performance is not individually evaluated.
• Studies:
  • Ringelmann (1913): Demonstrated decreased effort when pulling ropes in groups.
  • Individuals tend to perform worse on simple tasks but better on complex tasks when alone, compared to in groups.

Group Decision-Making

• Process Loss:
  • Factors that inhibit problem-solving, such as failure to identify competent members or share unique information.
• Groupthink:
  • A phenomenon where the desire for group cohesion overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives, often leading to poor decisions (e.g., Bay of Pigs).
  • Symptoms include illusions of invulnerability, self-censorship, and pressure on dissenters.

Leadership in Groups

• Leadership Theories:
  • Great person theory: Leadership is dependent on inherent traits.
  • Transactional vs. Transformational leaders based on goal-setting and inspiring performance.
• Contingency Theory of Leadership:
  • Effectiveness is context-dependent, with task-oriented leaders performing better in structured settings and relationship-oriented leaders thriving in moderate-control situations.

Cultural Factors in Leadership

• Gender Stereotypes:
  • Women often face barriers to leadership due to societal beliefs about gender roles and traits.
• Cultural Differences in Leadership Styles:
  • Variances exist in leader preferences and valued traits across cultures.

Conflict and Cooperation

• Social Dilemmas:
  • Conflict between individual goals versus group goals, potentially leading to harmful effects for collective interests.
• Prisoner’s Dilemma:
  • Describes a situation where individuals choose between cooperating or competing.

Strategies for Resolving Conflict

• Effective Techniques:
  • Encourage altruistic motives and small, connected groups.
  • Implement integrative solutions for negotiated outcomes.
• Role of Communication:
  • Required communication can foster cooperation but may not always guarantee trust.

Role of Mediators

• Neutral mediators can effectively assist in resolving disputes by identifying mutually agreeable solutions.