1 PSY 321 Dr. Sanchez Obedience/Group Influence. 2 Chapter 8: Group Processes How do groups effect individual effort? How do groups effect individual

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PSY 321PSY 321Dr. SanchezDr. Sanchez

Obedience/Group Obedience/Group InfluenceInfluence

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Chapter 8: Group ProcessesChapter 8: Group Processes

How do groups effect individual How do groups effect individual effort?effort?

How/when do groups make bad How/when do groups make bad decisions?decisions?

Are groups a sum of their parts?Are groups a sum of their parts? Applications = I/O, Business, Student Applications = I/O, Business, Student

Organizations, Class Group Projects Organizations, Class Group Projects

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GoalsGoals

Collective processes = presence of Collective processes = presence of others on individual’s behaviorothers on individual’s behavior

Group processes = individuals directly Group processes = individuals directly interact with each otherinteract with each other

Group conflict = Reconciling Group conflict = Reconciling differencesdifferences

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What is a Group?What is a Group?

Groups consist of two or more people Groups consist of two or more people who interact and are interdependent who interact and are interdependent in the sense that their needs and in the sense that their needs and goals cause them to influence each goals cause them to influence each other. other.

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What is a Group?What is a Group?

A set of people who have at least one A set of people who have at least one of the following characteristics:of the following characteristics: Joint membership in a social category Joint membership in a social category Direct interactions with each other over Direct interactions with each other over

a period of time (e.g., work colleagues).a period of time (e.g., work colleagues). A shared, common fate, identity, or set A shared, common fate, identity, or set

of goals (e.g., political groups).of goals (e.g., political groups). Vary in “groupiness”Vary in “groupiness”

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What Is a Collective?What Is a Collective?

An assembly of people engaging in a An assembly of people engaging in a common activity but having little direct common activity but having little direct interaction with each other interaction with each other

Not a real groupNot a real group Low in entitativityLow in entitativity

Some social psychological processes are Some social psychological processes are unique to real groups.unique to real groups. However, others affect both groups and However, others affect both groups and

collectives.collectives.

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Collective ProcessesCollective Processes

The Presence of OthersThe Presence of Others

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Social Facilitation: Social Facilitation: When Others Arouse UsWhen Others Arouse Us

How does the presence of others affect our How does the presence of others affect our behavior?behavior?

Triplett’s (1897-1898) fishing reel studies.Triplett’s (1897-1898) fishing reel studies. Children winding fishing reels alone or with Children winding fishing reels alone or with

othersothers Later research found conflicting findings.Later research found conflicting findings.

Sometimes the presence of others enhanced Sometimes the presence of others enhanced performance.performance.

At other times, performance declined.At other times, performance declined. What was going on???What was going on???

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Social Facilitation: Social Facilitation: When the Presence of Others Energizes When the Presence of Others Energizes

UsUs

Social facilitation:Social facilitation: tendency for people to do better on simple tendency for people to do better on simple

tasks and worse on complex tasks when tasks and worse on complex tasks when they are in the presence of others and they are in the presence of others and their individual performance can be their individual performance can be evaluatedevaluated

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UsUs

Cockroach Example:Cockroach Example: Roaches navigate through a mazeRoaches navigate through a maze Maze was a Maze was a easy taskeasy task ½ roaches in the presence of other roaches½ roaches in the presence of other roaches ½ roaches alone½ roaches alone

Results: Roaches Results: Roaches performed the task performed the task fasterfaster when other roaches were present when other roaches were present than when alone.than when alone.

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UsUs

Cockroach Example:Cockroach Example: Roaches get through a mazeRoaches get through a maze Maze was a Maze was a difficult taskdifficult task ½ roaches in the presence of other roaches½ roaches in the presence of other roaches ½ roaches alone½ roaches alone

Results: Roaches Results: Roaches took longer to solve the took longer to solve the mazemaze when other roaches were present when other roaches were present than when alone.than when alone.

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Pool Hall ExamplePool Hall Example

Pool Hall StudyPool Hall Study ½ below- ½ below-

average average playersplayers

½ above- ½ above- average average playersplayers

½ unobserved½ unobserved ½ observed½ observed

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Results of Michaels et al. Pool Hall Results of Michaels et al. Pool Hall StudyStudy

0102030405060708090

Below Average Above Average

Skill of Player

Per

cen

tag

e o

f S

ho

ts M

ade

Unobserved

Observed

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UsUs

Zajonc’s Mere Presence Theory Zajonc’s Mere Presence Theory all animals are aroused by presence of all animals are aroused by presence of

conspecific othersconspecific others

Bob Zajonc suggested that we can Bob Zajonc suggested that we can understand the influence others on understand the influence others on performance by considering three factors:performance by considering three factors:

ArousalArousal

Dominant responseDominant response

Task difficultyTask difficulty

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Social Facilitation:Social Facilitation: When the Presence of Others Energizes When the Presence of Others Energizes

UsUs

PRESENCE OF OTHERS

AROUSAL

DOMINANT RESPONSE

EVALU

ATION

APPREHEN

SION

PERFORMANCEIMPROVES

ON AN EASY TASK(CORRECT RESPONSE)

PERFORMANCEDECLINES

ON A HARD TASK(INCORRECT RESPONSE)

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Evaluation ApprehensionEvaluation Apprehension

Common to worry about others’ Common to worry about others’ opinionsopinions

SF depends on whether evaluator is SF depends on whether evaluator is presentpresent Blindfold study Blindfold study

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Social Facilitation:Social Facilitation: When the Presence of Others Energizes When the Presence of Others Energizes

UsUs

PRESENCE OF OTHERS

AROUSAL

DOMINANT RESPONSE

DISTR

ACTION

PERFORMANCEIMPROVES

ON AN EASY TASK(CORRECT RESPONSE)

PERFORMANCEDECLINES

ON A HARD TASK(INCORRECT RESPONSE)

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Distraction Conflict TheoryDistraction Conflict Theory

Distraction Conflict TheoryDistraction Conflict Theory Conflict between task and distracting Conflict between task and distracting

stimulus creates arousal.stimulus creates arousal. Maintains there is nothing uniquely Maintains there is nothing uniquely

social about “social” facilitation.social about “social” facilitation. Which theory is correct?Which theory is correct?

Mere presence, evaluation, and Mere presence, evaluation, and attentionattention

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Social Loafing: Social Loafing: When Others Relax UsWhen Others Relax Us

Ringelmann (1880s): Individual Ringelmann (1880s): Individual output declines on pooled tasks.output declines on pooled tasks. Def. “pooled”Def. “pooled”

Social Loafing: A group-produced Social Loafing: A group-produced reduction in individual output on reduction in individual output on easy tasks in which contributions are easy tasks in which contributions are pooled.pooled.

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Social Loafing:Social Loafing: When the Presence of Others Relaxes UsWhen the Presence of Others Relaxes Us

PRESENCE OF OTHERS

RELAXATION

DOMINANT RESPONSE

PERFORMANCEIMPROVES

ON A HARD TASK

PERFORMANCEDECLINES

ON AN EASY TASK

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Social Loafing: When Many Social Loafing: When Many Produce LessProduce Less

Adapted from Jackson & Williams, 1985; Sanna, 1992.

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When Is Social Loafing Less When Is Social Loafing Less Likely to Occur?Likely to Occur?

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Individual Differences in Social Individual Differences in Social LoafingLoafing

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Presence of others

Individual effort

canbe evaluated

Individual effort

cannot beevaluated

No evaluation apprehension

Evaluation apprehension

Improveon simple

tasks

Impairedon complex

tasks

Improveon complex

tasks

Impairedon simple

tasks

SOCIAL FACILITATION

SOCIAL LOAFING

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Social Loafing:Social Loafing: When the Presence of Others Relaxes When the Presence of Others Relaxes

UsUs ProcedureProcedure

Ps worked on a maze on a computer Ps worked on a maze on a computer Another P worked on same task in roomAnother P worked on same task in room

½ Ps received simple maze½ Ps received simple maze ½ Ps received complex maze½ Ps received complex maze

½ Ps thought performance was unique½ Ps thought performance was unique ½ Ps thought performance combined ½ Ps thought performance combined

Results???Results???

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Easy Difficult

score individualscore combined

Tim

e t

o c

om

ple

te m

aze

s

Difficulty of the mazes

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DeindividuationDeindividuation

The repercussions of anonymity can be The repercussions of anonymity can be seriousserious

Deindividuation refers to the reduction Deindividuation refers to the reduction of normal constraints against deviant of normal constraints against deviant behaviorbehavior

Examples?Examples?

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Group ProcessesGroup Processes

Interacting with OthersInteracting with Others

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Why Join a Group?Why Join a Group?

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Group PolarizationGroup Polarization

When people in groups make decisions that When people in groups make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations are more extreme than the initial inclinations of its membersof its members

Persuasive Arguments ExplanationPersuasive Arguments Explanation:: Other members often have similar attitudesOther members often have similar attitudes Individuals are exposed to supporting arguments Individuals are exposed to supporting arguments

they hadn’t thought of beforethey hadn’t thought of before Social Comparison Explanation:Social Comparison Explanation:

People want to fit in with others in groupPeople want to fit in with others in group They sense the group’s position and adjust their They sense the group’s position and adjust their

own attitude even further in that direction to own attitude even further in that direction to appear to “good” group membersappear to “good” group members

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Social Categories ExplanationSocial Categories Explanation:: Tendency to categorize in Tendency to categorize in

ingroups/outgroupsingroups/outgroups Ingroup members want to distinguish Ingroup members want to distinguish

themselves from outgroup membersthemselves from outgroup members

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You’re in a campus organization that You’re in a campus organization that supports Affirmative Actionsupports Affirmative Action You’re in favor of AAYou’re in favor of AA You meet with group members who offer other You meet with group members who offer other

arguments in favor of AA you hadn’t heardarguments in favor of AA you hadn’t heard You sense the group’s position, and in order to You sense the group’s position, and in order to

appear to be a “good” group member, you appear to be a “good” group member, you speak out even more strongly in favor of AAspeak out even more strongly in favor of AA

You want pro AA groups to appear distinct and You want pro AA groups to appear distinct and cohesive compared to anti AA groupscohesive compared to anti AA groups

You leave even more in favor of AA, as do theyYou leave even more in favor of AA, as do they

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Decision Making: Decision Making: GroupthinkGroupthink

Excessive tendency to seek Excessive tendency to seek concurrence among group members.concurrence among group members.

Emerges when the need for Emerges when the need for agreement takes priority over the agreement takes priority over the motivation to obtain accurate motivation to obtain accurate information and make appropriate information and make appropriate decisions.decisions.

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Antecedents of GroupthinkAntecedents of Groupthink

Highly cohesive groupsHighly cohesive groups Group structureGroup structure

Homogeneous membersHomogeneous members IsolationIsolation Directive leadershipDirective leadership Unsystematic proceduresUnsystematic procedures

Stressful situationsStressful situations

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Symptoms of GroupthinkSymptoms of Groupthink

Overestimation of the groupOverestimation of the group Closed-mindednessClosed-mindedness Increased pressures toward Increased pressures toward

uniformityuniformity

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Consequences of Consequences of GroupthinkGroupthink

Defective decision makingDefective decision making Incomplete survey of alternativesIncomplete survey of alternatives Incomplete survey of objectivesIncomplete survey of objectives Failure to reappraise initially rejected Failure to reappraise initially rejected

alternativesalternatives Poor information searchPoor information search Selective bias in processing information Selective bias in processing information

at handat hand Failure to work out contingency plansFailure to work out contingency plans

High probability of a bad decisionHigh probability of a bad decision

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Preventing GroupthinkPreventing Groupthink

Avoid isolation by consult widely with Avoid isolation by consult widely with outsiders.outsiders.

Leaders should reduce conformity Leaders should reduce conformity pressures.pressures.

Establish a strong norm of critical Establish a strong norm of critical review.review.

Documents

1 PSY 321 Dr. Sanchez Obedience/Group Influence. 2 Chapter 8: Group Processes How do groups effect individual effort? How do groups effect individual