Definition of Groups
- How Many? 2 or more people who share a common definition / evaluation of themselves and behave in accordance with it.
- Interact: The people interact over a sustained period of time
- Perception: The members perceive themselves as a group and themselves as members.
- Norms/Roles: The group develops it's own norms, roles and expectations and places Sanctions on non - conformers.
- Goals: Sense of shared goal / purpose.
- Relationships: Develop between group members
- Some definitions do not account for some groups i.e. internet and crowds - Johnson et al
- Some are too vague, Lickel et al "collection"
Group Typologies - Stangor (2004)
- Identify through admiration: friends, work, celebs and bands.
- Working towards a specific goal: a jury, seminar group.
- Large / permanent group: Women, the elderley, European.
- Geographic proximity, beliefs, i.e. western/eastern.
- large temporary group, common place and purppose.
Festinger et al, Group Cohesiveness
Field of Forces
- Group Attractivness.
- Member Attractiveness.
Mediation of Goals
- Social interactions
- Individual Goals - Interdependence
- Behaviour: Membership continuity and adherence.
The extent to which a group is perceived as being a group (Groupiness) CAMPBELL (1958). Psychological process that transforms a collection of individuals into a group which is influenced by:
Lickel et al found that groups were higher rated as being groups when they scored high on.
- groups importance to its members
- extent of shared goals
- similarity between members.
Groups are groups to the extent that they have ENTITATIVITY.
- Shared beliefs about appropriate conduct of members of a group
- can be descriptive or prescriptive
- norms describe the uniformities of behaviour that define a group
- discontinuities describe the differences in behaviour between groups.
- Norms can be explicit rules enforced by sanctions
- Norms can be impliciit - account for instinct behaviour
- Norms provide a frame of reference to guide behaviour.
- Sherif, (1936) - in a group individuals use the groups range of judgements to coverge a group mean
- An extreme norm of confederates can influence the participants estimates on the group mean.
- Norms can co-ordinate the actions of members to achievement, Coch et al (factory)
- Norms are resistant to change
- Norms arise to deal with specific circumstances once the circumstances change the norms can too.
- Lattitude of acceptable behaviour - higher in leadership
- Patterns of behaviour that distinguish between different activities in the group
- Roles are behavioural prescriptions assigned to members
Roles can emerge for the following reasons:
- Division of Labour
- Clear social expectations
- Self definition / place in the group
- Facilitate group functioning
Inflexible roles can detriment the group, Gersick et al - pre flight checks.
- fundamental attribution error - make inferences on role not personality, TYPECAST.
- Zimbardo (1971) - role prescription rather than behaviour governs role behaviour.
- Roles have the power to modify behaviour - Stanford Prison Experiment
- Evaluation of the prestige of a role in a group
- Evaluation of the prestige of a group as a whole
- The highest status role is the role of Leader.
Higher status roles tend to have 2 distinct properties:
- Consensual Prestige
- Tendency to initiate actions and idead adopted by the group
Defined status Hierachy makes a group seem more group like - Stangor (2004).
Social Identity - 2 or more individuals
"how much a part of the group the individual feels that he / she is and how important group membership is to him / her" Branscombe et al, (1999).
Social Identity reasons to join a group:
- To obtain a social indentity - Hogg et al.
- The basic human need to belong - Baumeister, (1995).
- Reduced subjective uncertainty - helps define who we are.
- Personal Indentity: Perception of self through unique experiences and personal characteristics.
- Social Identity: Self concept is derrived from perceived membership of social groups.