Group Processes

The Nature of Groups  The Nature of Groups Group - two or more people who influence each other Group - two or more people who influence each other Collections of individuals become increasingly “grouplike” when they: Collections of individuals become increasingly “grouplike” when they:  Are interdependent  Share a common identity  Have a group structure  Goals of Belonging to Groups Getting Things Done Getting Things Done Making Accurate Decisions Making Accurate Decisions Gaining Positions of Leadership Gaining Positions of Leadership

The Nature of Groups  The composition and functions of groups Social Norms Social Norms Stanford Prison Study Stanford Prison Study If you were a prisoner, how would you have acted? If you were a guard, how would you have acted? After the study, how do you think the prisoners and guards felt when they saw each other in the same civilian clothes again?

Stanford Prison Experiment: What happened next?  Prisoner #416, who broke down within 36 hours, got a clinical psychology Ph.D., did his internship in a California prison, and became a forensic psychologist in the San Francisco County Jail.  "John Wayne“ is now a mild-mannered real estate broker.  Zimbardo recently retired from Stanford after a long career in social psychology.

Stanford Prison Experiment: Criticisms of the experiment  Unethical  Unscientific - No scientific controls because it was a field experiment - Small sample size of 24, but really just 1 group so N=1 - Conclusions and observations were anecdotal  Participants acted how they were expected to behave - Zimbardo gave guards no rules, said they could “create fear” - Zimbardo admitted he was not a neutral observer but acted like a “superintendent” who enabled the bad behavior

Stanford Prison Experiment: A replication?  In 2002 two psychologists from England conducted a partial replication with the assistance of the BBC who broadcast scenes from the study as a reality TV program called The Experiment.  Their results and conclusions were very different from Zimbardo's

BBC “The Experiment  How was it similar to Zimbardo’s study? - Randomly selected volunteers assigned to “guards” and “prisoners” - Mock prison created in the George Lucas soundstage in London. - End early (ended two days earlier than planned)

BBC “The Experiment”  How did it differ from Zimbardo’s study? - Psychologists only observers, not involved - “Guards” were given guidelines and instructions  Very different results - Guards were not sadistic or abusive, made peace with prisoners - Some guards were “repelled” by the situation, two left in “disgust”  What does this imply about Zimbardo study?  What does this imply about human nature?

The Nature of Groups  Influence on the individual Mere Presence of Others and Social Facilitation Mere Presence of Others and Social Facilitation

The Nature of Groups  Influence on the individual Group Think Group Think