Why should we study groups? (2 reasons) - 1. Scientific: people are social animals. we are dependent
upon others and need acceptance. Socialization/belonging is crucial for physical health, without friends
you are more likely to die earlier (similar effect to smoking). Rejection leads to aggression and lower self-
esteem.
2. Political: many social problems involve groups: environmental pollution, racism, control of COVID-19
Definitions of group - Cambridge Dictionary: A number of people or things that are put together or form
a unit
Lewin: a collection of individuals who are interdependent in forming a dynamic system (30s-40s)
Sherif and Sherif: an interaction among individuals, individuals whose function it is to stabilize the role of
status relations and norms (50s - 60s).
Myers: two or more individuals who for more than a few moments interact and influence one another
(much more recent def)
*most definitions refer to smaller groups
What do different definitions (Lewin, Sherif and Sherif, Myers) emphasize as the most important aspect
of groups? - Lewin - common fate
ex. what happens to you happens to everyone else, like sports team fans, social psych class
Sherif and Sherif - social structure
ex. family: teaching manners
Paulus and Myers - face to face interaction
ex. smaller types of groups
Impact of large groups - - more impactful than we may realize
- stereotypes can have huge impact - ex. police more likely to shoot black individuals
Turner group definition (subjective) - - a group exists when two or more individuals perceive themselves
to be members of the same social category
- groups must be examined in context
, - Problem for marginalized or stigmatized groups if individuals are incorrectly identified as part of a
group. ex. nonbinary individuals misgendered, justified killing children because nazis determine them
jewish. "You're not irish" --> affects self-esteem
What did Allport (1926) believe about groups? - - believed there is no psychology of groups which is not
essentially and entirely a psychology of individuals
- argued that groups do not exist, that groups can be broken down into individuals
- targeting Le Bon and McDougall's concept of "group mind"
- focus on individuals is wrong. People influence others, even if not face-to-face basis. How do you
mobilize large numbers of people to do things/believe things?
Group mind fallacy - - idea that when individuals come together and form a group, "group mind"
behavior becomes more violent, aggressive, etc. Minds coalesce to form group mind
- When people see themselves as members of groups, they react differently/follow group norms
Challenges to group mind fallacy - - Although rejected, still important to study group processes
- group processes are real and have distinctive properties from individual properties: people act
differently in groups than when alone
- H20 analogy: same substance when frozen, solid, liquid, but behaves differently under each condition.
individual minds do not change, but behavior does when under certain social situations.
- group behavior is qualitatively different from individual behavior
- Allport's critique is accepted, yet disagree with his conclusion that the concept of group has no place in
rigorous social psych. Context impacts how you act even if it doesn't align with beliefs.
- Behavioral changes in group evident even when other group members not immediately present
Tajfel - social behavior on continuum - Scale from interpersonal to intergroup.
- Interpersonal: acting as the unique individual that you are. Your likes, dislikes, traits, etc.
Intergroup: defining yourself as a member of a group. Seeing yourself and others as interchangeable
members of group.
3 criteria to help us distinguish between interpersonal and intergroup behavior - 1. Presence or absence
of 2 categories
2. high or low variability between persons within each category
3. high or low variability in one persons attitudes towards those in each category
Interpersonal behavior - - presence of one category: talking about people as individuals, not groups
- high variability in attitudes and behaviors of aggregate
- high variation in one person's attitudes towards collection of other individuals
Intergroup behavior - - presence of two distinct groups
- low variability in attitudes and behavior of group members
- low variability in one persons attitudes toward group members
What causes switch between intergroup and interpersonal behavior towards others? - - change in the
functioning of of the self-concept
- sometimes we view treat people as individuals, sometimes as group members
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