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Communication
Science 211
Learning Unit 1:
Small group communication
Learning unit objectives:
- Differentiate between the communication context
- Define the nature of small group communication
- Explain and be able to apply types of groups
- Discuss and apply online groups
- Explain group norms and the different types of group norms
- Explain and give examples of out-group homogeneity and in-group bias
- Discuss group pressure
- Explain and apply the bystander effect
- Discuss groups as instruments of change
Levels of communication (i.e.
communication contexts)
 Intrapersonal communication
Communication by the self, with the self, about the self
 Interpersonal communication
Communication between two people
 Small group communication
Communication between 3 to 12 people. Perfect number: 7
 Public communication
A public speaker addressing an audience personally
 Mass communication
The message is mediated (by media vehicles) and is sent to a large
audience, who probably do not know one another
Types of small groups:
(1) Primary groups: people in this group provide resources
and support. Usually parents, childhood neighbours and
childhood friends. Members get together face-to-face and
all members know each other
(2) Secondary groups: members of this group do not
necessarily know one another – e.g. religious groups,
political groups and business organisations
(3) Reference groups: a group of people who can influence
an individuals’ opinions and behaviour, because they are
held in high regard. Think: “I want to be like _______”
(that would be your reference group)
(4) Casual group: people who get together for a function or
event (once) and then disband afterward. For example, a
party or a conference or people riding in a taxi.
Five (5) types of ONLINE
groups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Web forum / web conferencing
(interactive) participants typing in stead of talking – e.g.
chatting in a chat room
Synchronous (“at the same time”) communication
(interactive)
members of the group virtually present communicating at the
same time
Bulletin boards (less interactive)
The electronic version of the traditional bulletin board. The
web user can place notes on a “board” for others to read
Usenet newsgroups (less interactive)
Not used for private discussion. You have to subscribe to the
group. To discuss specific topics, such as politics or
entertainment
Mailing lists (not interactive)
Receiving letters / discussion through e-mail – e.g. spam
Group norms (rules)
Group norms (rules) are required for the functioning of that group.
Six (6) types of norms:
(1)
Injunctive norms – what society judges as ‘proper’ behaviour.
E.g. People are supposed to be clean and smell nice
(2)
Descriptive norms – what society judges as ‘improper’
behaviour. E.g. People are not supposed to fart in public
(3)
Explicit norms – rules written or spoken openly – e.g. you may
not steal money, it is written in the constitution
(4)
Implicit norms – rules are not openly stated, but rather
assumed. E.g. not punching your brother or sister
(5)
Subjective norms – rules imposed by valued others – such as
curfew or attending church on a Sunday
(6)
Personal norms – rules imposed by yourself. E.g. work ethic
Belonging to a group…
(1) Out-group (other groups) homogeneity (same):
Thus, as a whole, other groups are treated
according to stereotypes and generalisations.
If people do not belong to our group (our country,
race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, culture,
social class), we view them according to those
stereotypes and generalisations. E.g. As South
Africans, we might describe the French as rude,
Americans as condescending and the English as
snobbish. Those countries might describe us as
uneducated.
(2) In-group bias
We give people in our group preferential treatment.
E.g. in an inter-varsity, we would shout for
participants from our college
(3) Out-group bias
We treat people who are not in our group with
indifference. E.g. booing the participants from
another college at the inter-varsity meet.
In-group (in our group) linguistic
(language) bias (discriminate)
Thus, how a certain group generalise or
stereotype other groups by calling them /
referring to them in abstract, depersonalising terms. E.g. calling people who
love science fiction movies Geeks, or
academically strong pupils Nerds.
Group pressure
Groups pressure its individual members to conform to the
group’s way of doing things (thus, its norms) – E.g.
criminals aren’t necessarily born criminal, but become
criminals by being a member of the wrong group. Two
(2) theories occur as a result of this phenomenon:
1. Risky shift phenomenon – an individual will take risks
within a group, which they normally would not by
themselves. E.g. we will dance on the dance floor with
a crowd, but we will not dance when no one else is
dancing
2. Bystander effect
In short: the more people witnessing an event, the less they will take responsibility
to do something about it (people share risk and responsibility…risk and
responsibility, divided by more people, leads to less risk per person). Pluralistic
ignorance, basically means that we will not take responsibility to act, if no one
else does.
In an event, we go through the following process to decide whether we want to take
action…or not:
#1 Notice event
#1 Not notice event
#2 Is the event and emergency
#2 Not an emergency
#3 We assume responsibility
#3 We do not assume responsibility
#4 We know what to do
#4 We do not know what to do
#5 We act
#5 We decide not to act
Groups as instruments of
change
Groups can influence changes in an individual.
We get influenced in one of three (3) ways:
1) Conformity – we change to be more socially accepted.
Changing our inner core to fit in with the group. E.g. we
become Goths in a gothic group.
2) Compliance – we choose to do something or not to do
something. E.g. our groups wants to be the treasurer of
the group…we can either comply with the request or
decline. We are asked to do something
3) Obedience – we do what we are told by an authority
figure. E.g. we obey our parents when they tell us to go to
bed. We are told to do something