Revision: Social Influence and Group Processes Psychology Commerce (English Medium) Class 12 CBSE

• A group may be defined as an organised system of two or more individuals who are interacting and interdependent, who have common motives, have a set of role relationships among its members, and have norms that regulate the behaviour of its members.
• In social psychology, a group is defined as ‘two or more interacting persons who share common goals, have a stable set of role relationships, are somehow interdependent, follow a set of norms that regulate their behaviours, and perceive that they are in fact a part of the group.

• “A small group is usually of 2 to 10 persons who have common objects of attention, jointly attempt at problem solving and decision making, who are strongly stimulating each other, who have common loyalty, and participate in similar activities.” - Kuppuswamy
• “A small group is a small number of persons with intimate relationships with each other, who collectively and vigorously work for the group's goal.” - Borgardus

It refers to the tendency on the part of the members to identify themselves with the group, it means a feeling that they belong to the group.

• Roles are socially defined expectations that individuals in a given situation are expected to fulfil.
• Roles refer to the typical behaviour that depicts a person in a given social context.

Status refers to the relative social position given to group members by others.

• Cohesiveness refers to togetherness, binding, or mutual attraction among group members.
• Cohesiveness refers to the team spirit or ‘we feeling’ or a sense of belongingness to the group.

• A group is an organised system of two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who share common goals, roles, and norms.
• Groups create a sense of belongingness (“we-feeling”) and influence the socialisation, personality, and behaviour of individuals.
• A group is different from a crowd, audience, or category because it has structure, interdependence, stable relationships, and shared goals.
• Primary groups (e.g., family) have close relationships and strong influence, while secondary groups (e.g., school, clubs) are less intimate.
• Small groups (2–10 members) provide better interaction and understanding of behaviour compared to large groups.
• Teams are special types of groups where members have complementary skills, shared responsibility, and coordinated efforts.
• Social influence changes attitudes through three processes: compliance (conformity), identification (influence of groups), and internalisation (influence of persuasive sources).

• Mutual Awareness – Members are aware of each other and recognise themselves as part of the group.
• Common Goals – Group members share common interests, motives, or objectives.
• Interdependence – Members depend on one another; actions of one affect others.
• Sense of Unity – There is a feeling of belongingness and togetherness among members.
• We-Feeling – Members identify themselves as “we” and show loyalty to the group.
• Well-Defined Norms – Groups have clear rules, values, and expectations that guide behaviour.
• Interaction and Similar Behaviour – Members interact regularly and show similar patterns of behaviour to achieve group goals.

• Five-Stage Model of Group Formation – Groups pass through five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
• Factors for Group Formation – Proximity, similarity, common goals, and external threats influence group formation.
• Group Cohesiveness – High cohesiveness strengthens unity, but excessive cohesiveness can lead to groupthink, where critical thinking is suppressed.
• Reasons for Joining Groups – People join groups for security, status, self-esteem, goal achievement, and psychological/social needs.
• Instinct & Biological Theories – Humans have an innate need for belonging, which drives group formation.
• Role Theory – People join groups to perform specific roles and contribute to group goals through division of labour.
• Stages of Group Development – Groups develop through forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning, with group norms and cohesiveness influencing behaviour.

• Primary groups – Close, face-to-face, emotional relations (e.g., family).
• Secondary groups – Impersonal and goal-oriented (e.g., political party).
• Formal groups – Have clear rules, structure, and defined roles (e.g., office).
• Informal groups – No fixed rules, based on personal relations (e.g., friends).
• In-group – “We” group; viewed positively.
• Out-group – “They” group; often viewed negatively.
• Tajfel’s finding – People favour their own group even when groups are formed on small differences.

• Social Facilitation – Performance improves in the presence of others due to increased arousal and concern about being judged.
• Social Inhibition – Some people perform worse in groups due to anxiety and fear of judgment, leading to mistakes.
• Social Loafing – People exert less effort in groups because they feel less responsible and their contributions aren’t individually evaluated.
• Reducing Social Loafing – Social loafing can be reduced by making individual efforts identifiable, increasing task importance, and boosting group cohesion.
• Risk-Taking – Groups tend to make riskier decisions than individuals due to group confidence and the belief that the group is more accurate.
• Group Mind – The collective mindset of a group can enhance confidence and encourage more extreme decisions, such as taking risks.
• Group Dynamics – Group interactions, such as social facilitation, inhibition, and risk-taking, significantly influence individual behaviour and performance.