Communication Characteristics of Small Groups
Introduction
When you
think of small groups, you probably think of the much dreaded "group
assignment" that you've endured in high school and college. You are less
likely to think of the numerous other groups to which you belong that
bring more positive experiences, such as your family and friendship
groups or shared-interest groups. Group communication scholars are so
aware of this common negative sentiment toward group communication that
they coined the term grouphate to describe it. Small groups, however,
aren't just entities meant to torture students; they have served a
central purpose in human history and evolution. Groups make it easier
for us to complete a wide variety of tasks; help us establish meaningful
social bonds; and help us create, maintain, and change our sense of
self.
Negative group experiences are often exacerbated by a lack of knowledge
about group communication processes. We are just expected to know how
to work in groups without much instruction or practice. This lack of
knowledge about group communication can lead to negative group
interactions, which creates a negative cycle that perpetuates further
negative experiences. Fortunately, as with other areas of communication,
instruction in group communication can improve people's skills and
increase people's satisfaction with their group experiences.
This text was adapted by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensor.