Group Formation Chapter 4

What Factors Determine When a Group Will Form? People Joining with others in a group depends on individuals' personal qualities, including traits, social motives, and gender. Situations Some situations prompt people to affiliate with one another, including  Ambiguous, dangerous situations  Tasks and goals that can only be achieved by collaborating with others Relationships Groups form when individuals find they like one another.

Who Joins Groups & Who Remains Apart? Personality  Introversion & extraversion: extraverts are drawn to other people and groups and introverts avoid them (extraverts tend to be happier individuals)  Relationality: individuals who adopt values, attitudes, and outlooks that emphasize and facilitate connections with others seek out group memberships

Social Motivation  Need for Affiliation – people with high need for affiliation tend to join more groups and spend more time in them; however, they often fear rejection  Need for Intimacy – tend to join more groups in order to find close relationships with others  Need for Power – need to influence others, need for control in groups (e.g., organizing and structuring activities)

Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO)  Theory: Individuals’ need to receive and express inclusion, control, and affection influences group-seeking tendencies. The 3 basic needs identified by FIRO-B are: INCLUSION forming new relationships and associating with others; determines the extent of contact and prominence that a person seeks. Include: belonging involvement participation recognition distinction CONTROL relates to decision making, influence, and persuasion between people; extent of power dominance that a person seeks. Include: power authority influence responsibility consistency AFFILIATION relates to emotional ties and warm connections between people; it determines the extent of closeness that a person seeks. Include: personal ties consensus sensitivity support openness

Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO)  For each of the three interpersonal needs—Inclusion, Control, and Affection—the FIRO instrument also provides a measure of how much each need is Expressed or Wanted by you. EXPRESSED  The extent to which you will initiate the behavior. WANTED  The extent to which you want or will accept that behavior from others.  FIRO-B tool can help you maximize the impact of your actions, identify options for increasing your job satisfaction and productivity, and explore alternative ways to achieve your goals.

Social Anxiety & Phobia fear of social situations – a feeling of apprehension and embarrassment experienced when anticipating or actually interacting with other people persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of a specific object/situation avoidance behaviour

Fight vs. Flight and Groups

Social Anxiety & Phobia rooted in fear of negative evaluations becomes conditioned behaviour Disaffiliate – reduce social contact Innocuous Sociability – merge into the group’s background

Attachment Attachment Style – approach to relationships with other  Secure – comfortable with interpersonal intimacy  Avoidant – evades intimacy with others  Anxious – people desire intimacy, but are worried about rejection Sex differences in joining groups  Women – more extraverted, caring, warm, empathic, socially responsible  Men – seek membership in larger, formal, task-focused groups

Affiliation Social comparison - gaining information from other people’s reactions Ambiguous, confusing circumstances Psychological reaction  Negative emotions  Uncertainty  Need for information Affiliation and social comparison with others Cognitive Clarity

Schachter’s studies of Affiliation  How do people react in an ambiguous, frightening situation? Misery loves company: People affiliate with others Misery loves miserable company: Schachter found people prefer to wait with others facing a similar experience.  Directional comparison downward social comparison: bolsters sense of competence upward social comparison: hope and motivation  The self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model: people affiliate with individuals who do not outperform them in areas that are very relevant to their self-esteem Group Affiliation : When & Why

 Safety in numbers "fight-or-flight" "tend-and-befriend“  Types of social support: - Approval - Emotional - Informational - Instrumental - Spiritual Social Support

Fight vs. Flight and Groups

 Groups form when individuals seek goals that they cannot attain working alone. How difficult is the task? How complex is the task? How important is the task?  Example: Gangs as a means to achieve goals Collaboration

Group Attraction 1. Newcomb’s Study of the Acquaintance Process 2. Principles of Attraction  Proximity Principle - People tend to like those who are situated near by.  Elaboration Principle - Groups often emerge when groups, as complex system, grow as additional elements (people) become linked to original members.  Similarity Principle People like those who are similar to them in some way. ie. homophily: similarity in attitudes, values, appearance, etc.

 Complementarity Principle People like others whose qualities complement their own qualities.  Reciprocity Principle Liking tends to be mutual  Minimax Principle Individuals are attracted to groups that offer them maximum rewards and minimal costs. Principles of Attraction

Interpersonal Attraction Between Individuals Social Exchange Theory Relationships are like economic exchanges, bargains where maximum outcomes sought with minimum investment. Satisfaction is determined by comparison level (CL). Value of other groups determines comparison level for alternatives (CL alt )