Download Group Behavior

CHS AP Psychology
Unit 12: Social Pyschology
Essential Task 12-4: Describe the
structure and function of
different kinds of group
behavior with specific
attention to group polarization
and group think
The Bunker Assignment
Power of Individuals
Non-violent fasts
and appeals by
Gandhi led to the
independence of
India from the
British.
Margaret Bourke-White/ Life Magazine. © 1946 Time Warner, Inc.
The power of social
influence is
enormous, but so is
the power of the
individual.
Gandhi
Individual Behavior in the Presence
of Others
Michelle Agnis/ NYT Pictures
Social facilitation:
Refers to
improved
performance on
tasks in the
presence of
others.
Triplett (1898)
noticed cyclists’
race times were
faster when they
competed
against others
than when they
just raced against
the clock.
However…
• Our performance diminishes when we
are not good at a task and are asked
to perform it in the presence of others.
Social Facilitation
• Knowing that performance on tasks
diminishes when we are not good at
that task…
– Should students schedule when they take
tests so that can take them when they are
ready? Why or why not?
– Should students be allowed to give oral
presentations in front of just the teacher if
they believe their project isn’t good, or if
they are uncomfortable with their public
speaking ability? Why or why not?
Social Loafing
The tendency of an individual in a group to
exert less effort toward attaining a common
goal than when tested individually (Latané,
1981).
• If social loafing is such a problem,
why do teachers still use group
work?
• How can group members motivate
each other to work their hardest
during group work?
Deindividuation
The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in
group situations that foster arousal and
anonymity.
Mob behavior
Groupthink
• A mode of thinking that occurs when
the desire for harmony in a decisionmaking group overrides the realistic
appraisal of alternatives.
– Groupthink occurs when people suppress
their opinions to maintain perceived
group harmony
– The presence of a charismatic leader also
makes it difficult to speak out
Groupthink
• Groupthink- syndrome of bad decisionmaking
12.17
Group Polarization
Group Polarization- tendency to shift toward
more extreme positions after group discussion
Risky
Neutral
Cautious
Effects of Group Interaction
Group Polarization
enhances a group’s
prevailing attitudes
through a
discussion.
If a group is likeminded, discussion
strengthens its
prevailing opinions
and attitudes.
How does the Internet provide a place for
group polarization to occur?