Group Dynamics practice test questions with complete verified solutions

When did Group Dynamics gain its prominence and why? Early 1940's; Thanks to the depression, rise of dictatorship in Europe, and the second world war. What 2 questions does GD answer? The first was the drive to strengthen democracy by using the scientific method to strengthen groups. The second was the application of group dynamics and research to deriving methods of training leaders and group members in the social skills needed to promote effective functioning of democratic groups. Who was Norman Triplet? Indiana University psychological - 1898 Racing Board of the League of American Wheelmen Observed that cyclists' times were faster when they were racing against each their than when they simply raced against the clock. Research on Social facilitation-impairment, social interdependence and social loafing This lead to simple vs. complex tasks with an audience. Simple - audience increased the speed of performance. Complex - audiences decreased the speed of performance. In the late 20s and 30s. We started focusing on "Individuals or groups more productive on problem solving and decision making tasks?" At the end of the late 1930s group dynamics advanced rapidly What was Kurt Lewin best known for? Lewin's Field Theory What was Lewin's field theory? proposed that behavior is the result of the individual and the environment. This theory had a major impact on social psychology, supporting the notion that our individual traits and the environment interact to cause behavior. Kurt became known as the founder of modern social psychology Rodney Dangerfield Era Experimental model- trying to gain respect Study of small groups, in the lab, with undergraduates, manipulating one factor; Cause-effect, Research in the 60s and 70s: Conformity Group polarization Helping Social facilitation Group aggression Bystander Effect Group more likely not to help than if alone Limitations of Lab Experiments Cannot mimic complex environment and cannot mimic ebb and flow of groups over time. Group Two or more individuals who are connected by and within social relationships. Members are connected—linked—together; these relationships are memberships Groups vary in size from dyads and triads to very large aggregations, such as mobs and audiences. Unlike networks, groups usually have boundaries that define who is in the group and who is not Unlike categories, members are socially connected, not just in the same grouping or collection (e.g., all men, bricklayers...) Most tend to be small, having 2 to 7 members. Social Categories As social identity theory explains, in many cases broad ____ _____ can become psychologically meaningful to members, and in those cases social categories function very much like dynamic, socially based groups Interdependence Mutual dependence, as when one's outcomes, actions, thoughts, feelings, and experiences are influenced, to some degree, by other people Structure The underlying pattern of roles, norms, and relations among members that organizes groups Group Structure The persistent and interrelated features of a group, such as roles and norms, that influence, the functioning of the group as a whole and create regularities in the interactions of its members. Roles Socially shared set of behaviors, characteristics, and responsibilities expected of people who occupy a particular position or type of position Norm Consensual and often implicit standard that describes what behaviors should and should not be performed in a given context Group Cohesion Solidarity or unity of a group resulting from the development of strong and mutual interpersonal bonds among members and group-level force that unity the group, such as shared commitments to group goals and esprit de corps. In the 1950's, sociologists looked at groups as ______ ____ ______. miniature social systems Mead's Philosophy We learn about our world from play Cooley was known for Social Organization Durkheim father of? Sociological Thought Four types of Group Goals and Tasks 1.Generating: concocting strategies, producing new ideas, developing plans, create novel solutions. 2. Choosing: Selecting between alternatives, settling on a single option among many, making a choice. 3. Negotiating: Managing differences of opinions, resolving conflicts and disputes, improving coordination. 4. Executing: Taking action, carrying out a plan, making something, performing a task Entitativity The apparent cohesiveness or unity of an assemblage of individuals. Micro Level studying of groups Focus on the individual (psychological) Meso (group) Level studying of groups focus on the group and the social context (sociological) Macro Level Studying of Groups focus on organizational/community level Multi Level Studying of Groups adopts multiple perspectives of groups Group Dynamics the influential actions, processes and changes that take occur within groups and between groups; also, the scientific study of those processes What was the finding of sociologist John James, who studied 9,129 different groups in Eugene and Portland, Oregon? He found that groups tend to gravitate to the smallest size, two.