Groups: Their Key Components Several basic features of groups – ones that are present virtually in every group are : Status, roles, norms and cohesiveness Status: Hierarchies in Groups • Many groups have hierarchies with members differing in status- their rank within the group. Sometimes it is an ‘official position’ and sometimes it is not so explicit and instead is simply the ‘old-timers’ in a group who are accorded higher status compared to newcomers. • People are often extremely sensitive to their status within a group because it is linked to a wide range of desirable outcomes. • Evolutionary psychologists attach considerable importance to status attainment within a group, noting that in many different species, including our own, high status confers important advantages on those who possess it. • Physical attributes such as height may play some role, taller men and women have a consistent edge, especially in the workplace. • Factors relating to individuals’ behaviour also play a critical role in status acquisition. • Longevity or seniority in a group too can result in higher status - to the extent that it is seen as reflective of wisdom or knowledge of ingroup ways. • Once status within a group is obtained, people with high status actually behave differently than those with lower status. Guinote, Judd and Brauer (2002) observed that high-status group members are more “idiosyncratic and variable” in their behaviour than are lowerstatus group members.
