© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 1 Understanding Group Interaction

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 2 What is a Group? Multiple members –2 or more people –perceive themselves as a group Group rewards Corresponding effects Common goals

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 3 Why People Join Groups Psychological Needs –Affiliation –Identification Survival Needs –Emotional support –Assistance or help Commonality –Common interests –Common goals Situational Reasons –Physical proximity –Assignment

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 4 Factors Affecting Group Performance Group Cohesiveness Communication Structure Group Roles Presence of Others Type of Task Individual Dominance Groupthink

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 5 Factors Affecting Group Cohesiveness Group Homogeneity –Homogeneous –Heterogeneous –Slightly heterogeneous Stability of Membership Isolation Outside Pressure Group Size Group Status

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 6 Group Homogeneity Research

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 7 Group Size Smaller is best for cohesiveness Performance depends on task type –additive tasks –conjunctive tasks –disjunctive tasks

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 8 Communication Structure Chains Centralized Circles Open

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 9 Group Roles Task-Oriented –offering new ideas –coordinating activities Maintenance-Oriented –encouraging cohesiveness –encouraging participation Individual –blocking group activities –calling attention to oneself

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 10 Presence of Others Social Facilitation and Inhibition –mere presence of others –comparison of performance –evaluation apprehension Social Loafing –effort won’t be noticed –free-rider theory –sucker-effect theory

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 11 Individual Dominance By the group leader By a group member

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 12 Groupthink can occur when the group: is cohesive is insulated from outsiders believes it is infallible it is morally superior is under pressure to conform has a leader who promotes a favorite solution has gatekeepers who keep information from members

© 2001 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc 13 Group versus Individual Performance Groups –have higher quality decisions –are more risky Individuals –are more creative –make a decision more quickly