Group Dynamics
Lecturer: Bibiana Armenta
Lecture 1: 08 jan 2024
Introduction to Group Dynamics
A group is defined as two or more individuals who are connected by and within social
relationships. These relationships could be romantic, kinship, task related and they differ in
nature, strength and directionality.
Members are socially connected but here is not always a clear-cut distinction, people are not
just in the same grouping or collection, there could be different categories.
Unlike networks, groups usually have boundaries that define who is in the group and
who is not
Members are connected, these relationships are memberships
Describing groups on the basis of characteristics:
Size, how many people are part of the group
Composition, the characteristics of the group in terms of ability, achievement level,
gender, ethnicity, age, etc.
Interaction, task oriented versus relationship oriented
Goals, what is the group trying to achieve
Interdependence, like symmetric (friends), hierarchical or sequential (you influence a
member and that member influences someone else etc.)
Groups consist also of boundaries (permeable), origin (are they founded or formed?),
entitativity (is there internal organization rather than a set of independent individuals),
structure and unity/cohesion.
Types of groups
Primary groups, that are most influential, you typically don’t choose these groups,
for example family
Social (or secondary) groups, also influential but flexible, you can leave this type of
groups more easily, for example friends
Collectives, people share preferences, for example big groups at concerts, there is not
a lot of influence, these groups are temporary
Social categories, if it is very important to you it can become important, for example
being fan of a football club (harde kern)
Due to the fundamental attribution error, the influence of groups on individuals is often
underestimated, particularly by individuals raised in more individualistic western cultures.
To understand groups, you need to understand people, the social world, applications to
practical problems and you need to understand yourself.
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,Groups have been studied for roughly a century, there are a few reasons for the slow start
Incorrect assumption, private affair
Incorrect assumption, too complex to study
Incorrect assumption, so obvious, there is no need to study
Theoretical and methodological disagreement between researchers
The definition of group dynamics is a twofold coverage, first the scientific study of group
processes and second the influential actions, processes and changes that occur within and
between groups.
The key concepts of a group are the social relationships, the social categories and the social
network a group operates in. A group must have certain norms for effective interaction with
the group members, the group has to have a structure.
Lecture 2: 11 jan 2024
Studying Groups, Inclusion and Identity
Should we study the individual or the group?
Micro level, the individual, studied in psychology
Meso level, the group or social context, studied in sociology
Macro level, the organization, community or culture
Multi-level, combining multiple perspectives (best option)
A hypothesis is an assumption that is made based on some evidence, it has a clear direction
(either positive or negative) and the correlation is between a dependent and an independent
variable
Independent variables are what we expect will influence dependent variables
An independent variable is the cause while the dependent variable is the effect in a
causal research study
Characteristics of a hypothesis: it is never formulated in the form of a question, it should be
empirically testable whether it is right or wrong, it should be specific a precise and it should
specify variables between which the relationship is to be established.
Research methods are ways of collecting and analyzing data, common methods include
surveys, experiments, interviews and observations.
The theoretical perspective is the overall field in which the research is conducted, it is a set
of assumptions about reality that inform the questions we ask and the kinds of answers we
arrive at as a result
It guides the creation of the theoretical framework through the research question
It helps the researcher orient their view of the world
Studying groups, three key ingredients
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, Measurement, several options, for example observation and self-report
Research methods, for example case studies, experiments, correlational studies
Theoretical perspective, for example motivation and emotion, behavioral, cognitive,
biological or systems
But science has its limits, sometimes findings are not applicable to all groups, all cultures, all
ages, all centuries and more. It is currently the best approach we have (objective, based on
evidence, self-correcting…), but be aware of the limits.
Other limitations are that the effect sizes (size of the effect found) can be very small and are
understood/reported as strong and robust, scientists are still humans and can make mistakes or
commit fraud and several interpretations of the same phenomenon are possible.
Why do we need to be with others, theories on why humans are group animals:
The need to belong, solitude and social isolation, the need to belong is a fundamental
need, it is as important for us as drinking and eating
Loneliness, this is experienced when there is a perceived lack of personal
relationships
The herd instinct, an evolutionary approach to groups, the phenomenon of
individuals deciding to follow others and imitating group behaviors rather than
deciding independently on the basis of their own
Ostracism, being excluded or rejected from/by a group, this could even have
physiological implications
Individualism vs collectivism
People in social isolation show signs of extreme
distress, insomnia, general confusion, memory lapses,
fatigue and depression.
There are two forms of loneliness
Emotional loneliness, when you lack long-
term, meaningful and intimate relationships, for
example when you go through a break-up
(could be filled up by primary groups, like
good friends or lovers)
Social loneliness, when you are cut off from social groups, for example when you
move to a different city and you don’t see your friends anymore (could be filled up by
secondary groups)
The negative side of the herd instinct is that groups draw more attention to predators, the
members of the groups need to share the food and there is a higher risk of diseases, conflict
and violence.
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