Group DynamicsLecture #13

Social PsychologyOne of the roots of OB

Social InhibitionThe presence of an audience leads to a decrease in performance

Speech class?

“Watch me, Mommy!”

Social FacilitationThe presence of an audience leads to an increase in performance

Michael Jordan in a packed stadium

Presence of an AudienceWhy does it lead to an increase in performance in some cases, and a decrease in performance in others?

Inhibition = Facilitation?Both social inhibition and social facilitation are the same phenomenon

The presence of an audience increases the performer’s dominant response

Dominant ResponsesFor a newly learned, but not yet mastered task, the dominant response is to fail.

Dominant ResponseFor a well learned task, the dominant response is to perform well.

Importance of “Audience”The mere presence of others can affect our performance

Pop Quiz!A

B

Asch’s StudyControl group: Everyone identified B as the longer line

Asch’s StudyControl group: Everyone identified B as the longer line

Experimental group: Contained stooges!

CohesivenessStick-togetherness

Tight knit group

Why Do People Join Groups?

What makes groups attractive to people?

Social ElementsGroup members’ attractiveness

Social ElementsActivities of Groups

Why Do People Join Groups?

Goals or Means to Goals

Young Republicans

United Way

Conditions Influencing COH

Degree of dependency on group

Size of group

Stability of group

Competition

Degree of Dependency on Group

More dependent on group for taking care of needs, more cohesiveness

More needs taken care of by group, more cohesiveness

Size of GroupEverything else being equal, the smaller the group, the more cohesiveness

Stability of GroupEverything else being equal, the greater the stability of the group, the more cohesiveness

Membership

Roles

CompetitionINTRA-group competition

Competition within a group

INTER-group competitionCompetition between groups

Intra-group CompetitionIntra-group competition decreases

cohesiveness

“Every man for himself”

Inter-Group CompetitionInter-group competition increases cohesiveness

“Us against them”

Effects of CohesivenessAbsenteeism and Turnover

Internal Group Events

Performance

Absenteeism and TurnoverGreater cohesiveness leads to less absenteeism and turnover

Internal Group EventsGreater cohesiveness leads to group members being better able to resist outside pressure

Dirty Dozen

Substitute Teachers

PerformanceIncrease performance?

Decrease performance?

Neither!

PerformanceCohesiveness affects relative performance, not absolute performance.

PerformanceGreater cohesiveness leads to group members tending to produce at similar levels.