The Psychology of Groups

This module assumes that a thorough understanding of people requires a thorough understanding of groups. Each of us is an autonomous individual seeking our own objectives, yet we are also members of groups - groups that constrain us, guide us, and sustain us. Just as each of us influences the group and the people in the group, so, too, do groups change each one of us. Joining groups satisfies our need to belong, gain information and understanding through social comparison, define our sense of self and social identity, and achieve goals that might elude us if we worked alone. Groups are also practically significant, for much of the world's work is done by groups rather than by individuals. Success sometimes eludes our groups, but when group members learn to work together as a cohesive team their success becomes more certain. People also turn to groups when important decisions must be made, and this choice is justified as long as groups avoid such problems as group polarization and groupthink.


Learning Objectives

  • Review the evidence that suggests humans have a fundamental need to belong to groups.
  • Compare the sociometer model of self-esteem to a more traditional view of self-esteem.
  • Use theories of social facilitation to predict when a group will perform tasks slowly or quickly (e.g., students eating a meal as a group, workers on an assembly line, or a study group).
  • Summarize the methods used by LatanĂ©, Williams, and Harkins to identify the relative impact of social loafing and coordination problems on group performance.
  • Describe how groups change over time.
  • Apply the theory of groupthink to a well-known decision-making group, such as the group of advisors responsible for planning the Bay of Pigs operation.
  • List and discuss the factors that facilitate and impede group performance and decision making.
  • Develop a list of recommendations that, if followed, would minimize the possibility of groupthink developing in a group.

Source: Donelson R. Forsyth, https://web.archive.org/web/20160420075931/http://nobaproject.com/modules/the-psychology-of-groups
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

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