GROUP

CONCEPTS
PRESENTED BY: Ms Luyanda Memela
 TOPIC OUTLINE
Today's Discussion

Understanding what groups are and why they are formed

Different types of groups and their features
Theories of intergroup relations and social identity theory
GROUPS
Humans are social beings in nature and how this is
achieved is through the formation of groups. Our
growth and development is determined by our
environmental surroundings which has an influence
on how we turn out to be in life.
The study of groups is not only limited to one field of
psychology but it has given rise to the better
understanding within the developmental,
organisational, clinical, community, and other fields
of psychology when trying to understand human
behaviour.

INTRODUCTION
GROUP BELONGING
.- Groups fulfil many basic and intertwined
human needs that cannot be satisfied by
individuals alone
They provide a sense of belonging to an
individuall which further enhances their self-
esteem.
Individuals are able to work collectively
when trying to tackle life's problems instead
of facing them alone
 DEFINITIONS
According to Moghaddam (1998), groups can be
defined using two factor descriptions, that being the
objective and subjective factors
Objective approach - a collection of people to be a group based on
perceptions of common characteristics by an outsider
Subjective approach - characteristic of objective groups is entitativity
 DEFINITIONS CONT...
One kind of objective group could be a common-identity group
(Branscombe & Baron, 2017)
An exampke of an objective group is common-identity groups -
members are linked to the overall category (e.g. South Africans).
Membership does not require individuals to interact however,
being part of the group affects behaviour
An example of a subjective group would be a commonm-bond
group - members are bonded to each other and there is usually
face-to-face interaction.
 Objective and subjective factors do not necessarily include direct in
DEFINITIONS CONT...

group interaction amongst members, however this interaction is the

basis of a social group.
In socail psychology, social groups ought to have the following important traits:
interdependence amongst group members
interaction between them
mutual influence

According to Branscombe & Baron (2017, p. 380) a group is defined as ‘people

who believe they are bonded together in a coherent unit to some degree’.

Social groups are classified using the in-group and out-group (us and them)
typology. Another classification is the primary, secondary, and reference groups.
IN-GROUPS AND
OUT-GROUP

An is a group to which people belong, or think

they belong, and feel loyalty towards
An is a group to which people do not belong or
think they do not belong
Primary groups, secondary groups and reference groups
Primary groups generally have a small membership and are characterised by
intimate direct interactions, strong levels of group identification, strong
affective ties between group members, multifaceted relationships and a long
period of existence (Cooley, 1956; Newman, 2019).
primary groups play a fundimental role on an inidividuals growth and
development. this type of group is central to an individual's socialisation and
personality formation.
An example of a primary group is family.
Secondary groups are characterised by limited interaction between members
as a result of weak ties and or relations between members.
Secondary groups tend to be ‘more formal and impersonal’ (Newman, 2019,
p. 29)
An example of a secondary group could be a sports team or a university class
Primary groups, secondary groups and reference groups
Reference groups are those groups to which a person does not formally belong, but
with which they identify (Moghaddam, 1998) or which they use as a frame of
reference (Branscombe & Baron, 2017)
Reference groups are used used to guide and inform values, attitudes, self-image
and behaviours, but there is no formal membership
Examples include an association, interest group or political group.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SMALL
GROUP
#1 a purpose for existing
#2 norms about appropriate behaviour

#3 a differential allocation of roles and

responsibilities between members
#4 a communication structure
#5 differing levels of status and
influence amongst members

#6 a level of cohesiveness and

attraction between members
Social groups exist to serve a particular pupose which might be
implicit or explicit.
Members of small social groups usually develop or shared expectations
about the kinds of group norms behaviours that are acceptable and those
that are required by all group members
According to Bordens and Horowitz (2002, p. 239)a norm is ‘an unwritten
social rule existing either on a wide cultural level or on a norm smaller,
situation-specific level that suggests what is appropriate behaviour in a
situation’
Prescriptive group norms - recommend certain behaviours
Proscriptive group norms - which forbid certain behaviours
A significant group norm that applies differently across groups is
collectivism versus individualism (Branscombe & Baron, 2017).
Deviation from group norms is better tolerated in individualistic groups
 CROWD
BEHAVIOUR
According to early theorists, individuals tend to act more aggressively and impulsively when in a
group compared to when they are by themselves.
When in a crown, people tend to loose their ability to judge right from wrong as a result of losing
their personal identity
According to social psychology this is known as the process of deindividuation
Deindividuation - rational control and normative behaviour are weakened, resulting in a greater
propensity to respond in an extreme manner and violate norms
 ROLES AND
COMMUNICATION
In most groups, roles emerge after the groups have been formed.
In small social groups each individual has a role to play, whether informal or formal, these
roles usually determine the individual's behaviour as per the group's expectations.
Most theorists draw a distinction between two basic roles :
1. Task roles focus on the attainment of group goals.
2. focus on the quality of the relationships amongst group members and include Relationship
roles performing supportive, interpersonally accommodative behaviours.
Group roles play an important part in an individual's self-concept.
Small groups form communication networks.
Members in groups rank in different calibres and these statuses can be ascribed or achived. an
ascribed status is that where a person is placed in involuntarily for instance, being an
adolescent. An achieved status is that where an individual gets it after putting effort such as
being a president.
A group’s refers to the strength of the relationships linking the members to one another, and
to cohesiveness the group itself .
 STAGES OF GROUP
FORMATION
Forming (orientation) - The group forms and the members need to become familiar with
each other. Group roles are established. Communication is tentative, with the group leader
taking a dominant position.
Storming (conflict) - This stage is characterised by disagreement and tension. There may
be hostility, criticism and poor attendance
Norming (structure) - Here norms and roles develop and there is an increase in
cohesiveness. There is a reduction in tension and increased agreement
Performing (development) - The group ‘unit’ is now able to achieve its goals. There is
increased cooperation and decision-making
Adjourning (dissolution) - Tasks have been completed, roles end and the group
disintegrates. This may be accompanied by sadness and regret
 DYNAMICS WITHIN
A SMALL GROUP
Group polarisation and groupthink are two of the basic phenomena that affects the functions of
a group.
Group polarisation refers to the tendency for pre-existing individual opinions, ideas or positions
to become more extreme or polarised following a group discussion
Groupthink was first identified by Irving Janis and is a group process phenomenon that may lead
to faulty decision-making by group members who are more concerned with reaching consensus
than with carefully considering alternative courses of action
Groupthink is likely to occur when the group is highly cohesive, isolated from important sources
of information, has a biased leader and is under decisional stress

HEADLINE HERE
Social influence refers to the change in a person’s judgements, opinions
and attitudes that occurs because of exposure to the judgements,

SOCIAL INFLUENCE
opinions and attitudes of other people
JTypes of social influence:
Conformity (the majority influence) referes to a change in an individual's behaviour
as a reselt of real or imagined societal pressure
Minority influence referes to a change in a group brought about a minoirty group to
the majority or the group at large.
Compliance refers to individuals getting others to comply with their requests.
according to Cialdini (2006), six basic principles that people use to gain compliance
are; Friendship or liking, Commitment or consistency, Scarcity, Reciprocity, Social
validation, and Authority.
 SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Types of social influence continued...
Obedience is a social influence process in which individual behaviour is
modified in response to a command from an authority figure.
 ANALYSING SOCIAL
INFLUENCE
Doise (1986) outlines four levels of analysis that assist social psychologists in taking
the various dimensions of social influence into consideration:

At the , social behaviour is explained in terms of internal dispositions or processes, which individual
level include personality traits, emotions and cognitive mechanisms
At the (interpersonal level), behaviour is understood as resulting from an interaction with situational
level other individuals or particular situational contexts
At the positional level (group level), behaviour is explained in terms of group membership
At the ideological level (intergroup level), the interaction of groups and the power relations between
groups are explained in terms of widely shared systems of ideas and social practices
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