Download GROUP BEHAVIOR

GROUP BEHAVIOR
How our behavior in groups differs
from when we are alone.
Social Facilitation
• Improved performance of tasks in the presence of
others
• Occurs with simple or well learned tasks
• Tasks that are difficult or not yet learned the
presence of other people is likely to hinder
performance
• Evaluation Apprehension – concern about the
opinion of others may motivate us to try harder.
• Social Facilitation is even seen in other animals
(dogs, cats, cockroaches)
Social Loafing
• Social Loafing—tendency to expend less effort (slack off)
on a task when it is a group effort
• The larger the group, the the lower each individual’s
output
• Diffusion of Responsibility - People may be less
accountable in a group, or they may think their efforts aren’t
needed.
• Reduced when
– Group is composed of people we know
– We are members of a highly valued group
– Task is meaningful
• Women are generally less likely to engage in social
loafing than are men.
• Opposite occurs in many collectivistic cultures, in a
Risky Shift
• Tendency for people to take greater risks as
a part of a group than they would on their
own.
• This is most likely because of
deindividuation that occurs.
Deindividuation
• The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint
occurring in group situations that foster
arousal and anonymity
• People lose their sense of responsibility
when in a group.
How Do Groups Make
Decisions?
Social Decision Schemes
Rules that govern group decision making
• Majority-Wins Scheme – Applied to situations
with no right or wrong answer. Most votes wins.
• Truth-Wins Scheme – learn more about the
different choices and choose the one that is best.
• Two-Thirds-Majority Scheme – If 2/3 of the group
agrees to a decision the final 1/3 will often follow.
• First-Shift Scheme – When the group is deadlocked
50-50 on a decision once one person changes sides
others will soon follow.
Groupthink
• The mode of thinking that occurs when the
desire for harmony in a decision- making
group overrides a realistic appraisal of the
alternatives
• Group members try to maintain harmony
and unanimity in group
• Can lead to some better decisions and
some worse decisions than individuals
Group Interaction
Effects
Group Polarization
• The strengthening of a group’s prevailing
attitudes through discussion within the
group
Social Pressure in
Group Decisions
• Group polarization
– majority position
stronger after a group
discussion in which a
minority is arguing
against the majority
point of view
• Why does this
occur?
– informational and
normative influences
Before group discussion
Group 1
Against
Group 2
For
Strength of opinion
(a)
After group discussion
Group 1
Against
Group 2
For
Strength of opinion
(b)
Group Polarization
Group Leadership
Types of Leaders
• Authoritarian – Absolute control over all
decisions (a dictator)
• Democratic – Encourage group members to
express and discuss their ideas, build a
consensus or take majority’s view.
• Laissez-Faire – Lets group make decisions
whether they are right or wrong.
• Best type of leaders depends on the
situation (how fast and important is the
decision that needs to be made)