- A group is two or more people who interact, share common goals, and follow norms and roles.
- Family is the first group, and later groups like school, neighbourhood, and clubs influence development.
- Groups create a sense of belonging, and members influence one another.
- Small groups have about 2–10 members, while large groups include racial and political groups and nations.
- Social influence changes attitudes through compliance, identification, and internalisation.
- A group differs from a crowd or an audience because groups involve interaction and interdependence.
- Teams are special groups where members work together with shared responsibility to achieve a common goal.
Definitions [6]
Definition: Group
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.
Definition: Small 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
Definition: Sense of We-Feeling
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.
Definition: Cohesiveness
- 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.
Definition: Roles
- 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.
Definition: Status
Status refers to the relative social position given to group members by others.
Key Points
Key Points: Social Group
Key Points: Characteristics of Social Groups
- 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.
Key Points: Formation of Groups
- 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.
Key Points: Types of Social Groups
- 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.
Key Points: Influence of Group on Individual Behaviour
- Group Influence: Groups like family and friends shape our behaviour, communication, and responses.
- Social Facilitation: The presence of others can improve performance due to increased motivation and arousal.
- Social Inhibition: Sometimes performance decreases in front of others, especially in difficult tasks.
- Social Loafing: People may put less effort in groups because responsibility is shared.
- Reducing Social Loafing: It can be reduced by making individual efforts identifiable and increasing task importance.
- Risk-Taking: Groups often make riskier decisions because responsibility is shared.
- Group Polarisation: Group discussions can make opinions stronger and more extreme.
Important Questions [2]
- Mary found herself very lonely when she joined a new college, but soon felt at ease when she made friends and became a member of a 'hobby group' too. With the help of this example, discuss
- Mehak is an important member of her Psychology group and has recently been selected to be a member of the football team as well.
