Groups, Norms, adn Social Behavior

1. Social Groups

  • Definition: Two or more people who interact, share goals, and influence each other.

  • Not all gatherings = groups (e.g., elevator ≠ group; PTA = group).

2. Norms

  • Rules (explicit or implicit) guiding group behavior.

  • Enforced through acceptance or exclusion.

  • Shape individual behavior to align with group expectations.

3. Social Loafing

Social Loafing

  • Reduced individual effort in group tasks.

  • Occurs when:

    • Task is simple

    • Individual contributions are not identifiable

  • Decreases when:

    • Task is difficult

    • Group is small

    • Accountability is high

4. Deindividuation

Deindividuation

  • Loss of self-awareness in groups → anonymity.

  • Leads to behavior guided by group norms, not personal values.

  • Can result in:

    • Antisocial behavior (violence, vandalism)

    • Prosocial behavior (charity, cooperation)

5. Group Decision Processes

Group Polarization
Group Polarization

  • Group discussion strengthens initial opinions.

  • Individuals shift toward more extreme positions.

Groupthink
Groupthink

  • Desire for harmony overrides critical thinking.

  • Symptoms:

    • Illusion of invulnerability

    • Suppression of dissent

    • Illusion of unanimity

  • Prevention:

    • Encourage dissent

    • Use devil’s advocate

    • Include outside perspectives

6. Performance in Groups

Social Facilitation
Social Facilitation

  • Better performance on simple/well-learned tasks with others present.

Social Impairment
Social Impairment

  • Worse performance on complex/new tasks with audience.

Cause: Increased arousal and evaluation concern.

7. Intergroup Relations

Stereotype
Stereotype

  • Cognitive belief about a group.

Prejudice
Prejudice

  • Emotional (affective) negative attitude.

Discrimination
Discrimination

  • Behavioral action against a group.

8. In-Group vs Out-Group

In-Group Bias
In-Group Bias

  • Favoring one’s own group.

Out-Group Derogation

  • Viewing other groups negatively.

Out-Group Homogeneity Effect
Out-Group Homogeneity Effect

  • Belief that “they are all the same.”

9. Causes of Intergroup Conflict

Scapegoat Theory
Scapegoat Theory

  • Blaming other groups for one’s problems.

  • Maintains self-esteem by shifting blame.

Core Synthesis

  • Group context reshapes behavior, effort, identity, and judgment.

  • Individuals shift from independent agents → norm-driven participants.

  • Social structure (norms, roles, anonymity, pressure) overrides personal values in many cases.