Lecture 17: Groups

From Person to People: Group Behavior

What Is Group Behavior?

  • Group behavior studies how being part of a group influences individuals' actions, decisions, and attitudes.

  • Key Questions:

    • How do groups affect our behavior toward others?

    • How quickly do we form impressions of others?

    • How do stereotypes influence our behavior?

The Bystander Effect

  • Definition: The tendency for individuals to be less likely to help in an emergency when others are present.

  • Key Study: Darley & Latané (1968)

    • Participants overheard someone having a seizure.

    • Results:

      • In small groups (2 people): ~100% helped.

      • In large groups (6 people): ~50% helped.

    • Why?: Diffusion of responsibility—people assume someone else will take action.

Example: Kitty Genovese Case

  • Kitty Genovese’s murder in 1964 is often cited as an example of the bystander effect.

  • Reports claimed many witnesses failed to intervene, assuming others would.

Group Membership and Bias

Why Do We Join Groups?

  • Groups provide a sense of belonging and shared identity (e.g., same place, religion, or interests).

  • Henri Tajfel’s Minimal Group Paradigm:

    • Even arbitrary group assignments (e.g., based on counting dots) lead to in-group favoritism and out-group bias:

      • In-group: More resources and points are given to members of one’s own group.

      • Out-group: Resources are withheld, and failures are celebrated.

Categorization:

  • Purpose: Helps make decisions efficiently by organizing information into categories.

  • Drawbacks:

    • Leads to stereotyping and snap judgments.

    • Example: Assigning traits based on group membership rather than investigation.

Thin Slicing:

  • Definition: Making quick judgments about others based on limited information.

  • Nalini Ambady’s Research:

    • Judgments formed in 6 seconds can predict traits like talkativeness, political views, or honesty.

    • Accuracy vs. Stickiness:

      • Judgments can be accurate but are often resistant to change (stickiness).

      • Can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies (e.g., treating someone as dishonest makes them act dishonestly).

Implicit vs. Explicit Bias

Implicit Bias:

  • Definition: Unconscious biases that influence behavior and decisions without the person’s awareness.

  • Examples:

    • Hurricane Katrina: Media portrayed young Black men as looters and white couples as survivors despite similar actions.

    • Implicit Association Test (IAT): Measures subconscious associations between concepts (e.g., race and good/bad).

    • Common topics: Race, age, sexuality, weight, disability, gender roles.

Explicit Bias:

  • Definition: Conscious biases that individuals are aware of and can express verbally.

  • Examples:

    • Hiring biases: Studies show racial preferences in hiring, especially for candidates with moderate qualifications.

Dark Side of Groups

The Prisoner’s Dilemma

  • A game theory scenario where two individuals must choose between cooperation or betrayal.

  • Outcomes:

    • Both cooperate: Moderate reward (e.g., both get 2 years in prison).

    • One betrays, the other cooperates: Betrayer benefits (e.g., 1 year), cooperator suffers (e.g., 10 years).

    • Both betray: Mutual punishment (e.g., 6 years each).

  • Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma:

    • Repeated interactions encourage cooperation over time.

    • Strategies:

      • Copycat: Mirror the other’s behavior.

      • Copykitten: Forgive occasional betrayals but punish repeated ones.

      • It pays to be nice when reputation matters.

Ultimatum Game:

  • Setup:

    • A proposer offers a split of $10.

    • The responder can accept (both get money) or reject (neither gets money).

  • Purpose: Tests generosity and fairness.

Public Goods Game:

  • Setup:

    • Participants contribute to a shared pot, which is multiplied and redistributed.

    • Individuals must decide between personal gain (free-riding) or contributing for group benefit.

  • Finding:

    • Time pressure leads to more generosity (fast decisions are often kind).

Group Bias and Stereotypes

  • Group bias combines categorization, snap judgments, and implicit bias, amplifying stereotypes.

  • Payne (2001) Study:

    • Participants identified objects as guns or tools faster when they matched racial stereotypes (e.g., Black prime = gun).

Light Side of Groups

  • Groups can achieve things individuals cannot, fostering cooperation and generosity.

  • Key Insights:

    • Groups can amplify biases but also encourage collaboration under the right conditions.

    • Spontaneous decisions often reflect our better nature, while calculated ones may lean toward self-interest.