Group Dynamics: Wikipedia
Calvin Laverick
Group Dynamics
• Group Dynamics are:
– A system of:
• Behaviours
• Psychological Processes
Key Theorists
• There are many key theorists as with any
sociology or social psychology. I know, how
unhelpful.
• They can be found here.
– I have opted not to put them in this PowerPoint as
they all wrote detailed studies which would take
too much space.
Bruce Tuckman (1965)
• Special mention goes to Bruce Tuckman who
proposed the 4 stage model of group
dynamics.
– I mention this because his model is most widely
used and accepted of all group dynamics theories.
• This can be found here.
Intragroup Dynamics
• These are the underlying processes that give
rise to a set of norms, relations and common
goals that characterize a particular social
group.
– Or, in English, how a group becomes the type of
group it is.
Interdependence Within Groups
• Within a group interdependence occurs and
often shapes behaviours and attitudes.
– This means that people may change how they act
depending on others.
– This is shown by Asch Conformity experiment.
Groups Within Groups
• Groupception.
• Group dynamics depend on how one defines
the boundaries of a group.
– This means that subgroups may or may not be
included within the group dynamics. The
dynamics of the group would be largely different
dependent on the subgroups included.
Group Formation
• There are 2 main theories for the formation of
groups:
– Psychological Theory
– Social Cohesion Approach
– Social identity approach
Psychological Theory
• The theory behind group formation is thought
to start with a psychological bond between
individuals.
– The factors for why this may occur are so broad
that it is virtually impossible to get a list of them.
As with many things in psychology, it is dependent
on the people involved.
Social Cohesion Approach
• This is the idea that groups form through
interpersonal attraction within 2 or more
people.
Social Identity Approach
• This approach suggests that a group starts
when people perceive that they have a shared
social identity.
– Examples of this are jobs (such as “nurses”) or
lifestyle activities(such as hockey players).
Emergent Groups
• An exception to this rule is that of emergent
groups.
– These can occur when people have no
membership roles but still need to coordinate and
work together to reach a common goal.
Social Identity Contrived from social
identity.
• An individuals identity has 2 components:
– Personal Identity
– Social Identity
• Personal identity can be found, in a hidden
slide, at the link provided.
– This is because it is not vital to this topic.
Social Identity
• Defined by a persons group membership.
– This includes general stereotypical characteristics
of the group.
• Social Identity and Personal Identity are
needed to be balanced and this can be found
in “Optimal Distinctiveness Theory”.
– This can be found here.
In-group Bias
• When comparing our group with someone
else we are much more likely to emphasize, or
exaggerate, the positive characteristics of our
group.
– In this we may also make their characteristics and
behaviours seem worse than they really are.
Group Cohesion
• This refers to the processes that keep
members of a social group connected.
– Factors influencing this are morale, attraction and
solidarity.
• Group Cohesion has been linked to group
performance and intergroup conflict.
Black Sheep Effect
• This is when individuals in a group upgrade
likeable members of the group and try and
stay away from unlikeable group members.
– This influences an individuals opinion of a group
from in-group and out-group (public image).
3 Types Of Members:
• New Members:
– These people must prove themselves to full members
of the group before they are accepted.
• Full Members:
– These members have undergone socialization and are
accepted into the group.
• Marginal Members:
– These were previously full members but have failed to
live up to the groups expectations and so have lost the
reputation of full members.
Group Influence On Individual
Behaviour
• It has been found that individuals work harder
and faster when others are present.
– This phenomena is known as social facilitation.
• Individuals performance is worse when
intergroup conflict is present.
• Experiments that test the group influence on
individual behaviour can be found here.
Intergroup Dynamics
• This refers to behavioural psychological
relations/ interactions between 2 or more
groups.
– This can also include within your own group as
well as with other groups.
– It is sometimes positive but can cause conflict.
Intergroup Conflict
• According to social identity theory, seen in an
earlier slide, intergroup conflict starts when an
individual compares characteristics of their
group with other groups.
– These are known as the “in-group” (the group the
individual belongs to and the “out-group”.
– It is likely to be bias against the “out-group” in
ways that can be found here.
Discrimination In Society
• At this point, it is worth it to note that this is
the main contributor to the following in
society:
– Racism
– Sexism
– Prejudice
– Discrimination
Contact Hypothesis (intergroup
contact theory)
• Gordon Allport (1954) suggested that
promoting contact between groups can
reduce prejudice. He suggested 4 optimal
conditions for this:
– Support of Authorities and Laws
– Intergroup Cooperation
– Equal status between groups
– Common goals
Superordinate Identities
• A Superordinate identity is an “umbrella
group” that includes in the groups that are in
conflict.
– An example is this of Latino gangs. Although
vicious rivalries are present inter-group they have
been known to work together when fighting a
common cause such as the law or oppression in
society.
Interdependence
• Another technique to reduce conflict within
groups is to make group members
interdependent on the other groups
members.
– An example of this is giving them a task that
causes them to need each others skills and
resources to complete.
• The following slides are a brief history of
Social Group Dynamics.
A Brief History
• “The whole is greater than the sum of it’s
parts”.
– Quote citation needed.
• A social group is an entity which has qualities
that cannot be understood by study of
individuals.
Max Wertheimer (1924)
• “There are entities where the behaviour of
the whole cannot be derived from it’s
individual elements nor from the way these
elements fit together. Rather the opposite is
true, the properties of any of the parts are
determined by the intrinsic structural laws as
a whole.
– Wertheimer 1924, p. 7
What does this mean?
• The rules of a group influence the behaviour
of a group more than an individual can.
– These are intrinsic rules and are usually subjective
to the group involved.
Wilhelm Wundt (1832 – 1920)
• He believed that possessed phenomena could
no be described through the study of an
individual.
– These include human language, customs and
religion.
Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917)
• Influenced by Wundt.
• Believes public knowledge as a collective
phenomena.
Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931)
• Crowds possess a “racial and unconscious”
mind.
– Believed that this has primitive, aggressive and
antisocial instincts.
William McDougall (1871-1938)
• A group mind which had a distinct existence
born from the interaction of individuals.
Kurt Lewin (1890 – 1947)
• Coined the term group dynamics.
• Established the Group Dynamics Research
Center.
Source:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_dynamics