TOPPER’S POINT

CLASS- XII - PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER 7- SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES

WEIGHTAGE - 6 MARKS

Group
A group is 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.

Characteristics of Groups
● A social unit consisting of two or more individuals who perceive themselves as belonging to the
group. This guives the group its unique identity.
● A collection of individuals who have common motives and goals.
● A collection of individuals who are interdependent, i.e. what one is doing may have consequences for
others.
● Individuals who are trying to satisfy a need through their joint association.
● A gathering of individuals who interact with one another either directly or indirectly.
● A collection of individuals whose interactions are structured by a set of roles and norms. Norms tell
us how we ought to behave in the group and specify the behaviours expected from group members.

Other Related Terms

1. Crowd- collection of people who may be present at a place/situation by chance. There is neither any
structure nor feeling of belongingness. Behaviour of people in crowds is irrational and there is no
interdependence among members.

2. Teams- Members have complementary skills and are committed to a common goal. Members are
mutually accountable for their activities. In teams, there is a positive synergy attained through the
coordinated efforts of the members.

Main difference among Group and Teams

S No. Groups Teams

1. Performance is dependent on contributions of Both individual contributions and teamwork

individual members. matter

2. The leader holds responsibility for the work. Although there is a leader, members hold
themselves responsible.
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3. Audience- Collection of people who have assembled for a special purpose, may be to watch a cricket
match or a movie. They are generally passive.

4. Mobs- When the audience gets into a frenzy, it becomes mob. They have a definite sense of purpose.
There is polarisation in attention, and actions of persons are in a common direction. Mob behaviour is
characterised by homogeneity of thought and behaviour as well as impulsivity.

Why Do People Join Groups?/ Reasons for Joining a Group

Different groups satisfy different needs, and therefore, we are simultaneously members of different groups.
People join groups because these groups satisfy a range of needs.

1. Security : When we are alone, we feel insecure. Being with people gives a sense of comfort, and
protection. As a result, people feel stronger, and are less vulnerable to threats.
2. Status : When we are members of a group that is perceived to be important by others, we feel
recognised and experience a sense of power.
3. Self-esteem : Being a member of prestigious groups enhances one’s self-concept and establish a
positive social identity.
4. Satisfaction of one’s psychological and social needs : Groups satisfy one’s social and psychological
needs such as sense of belongingness, giving and receiving attention, love, and power.
5. Goal achievement : Groups help in achieving such goals which cannot be attained individually.
6. Provide knowledge and information : As individuals, we may not have all the required information.
Groups supplement this information and knowledge.

Group Formation

Basic to group formation is some contact and some form of interaction between people. This interaction is
facilitated by the following conditions:

Conditions that facilitate Group Formation-

1. Proximity : Repeated interactions with the same set of individuals give us a chance to know them,
and their interests and attitudes. Common interests, attitudes, and background increase the likelihood
of forming a group.
2. Similarity : Similarities paves the way for formation of groups because when we meet similar
people, they reinforce and validate our opinions and we feel we are right and thus we start liking
them.
For example, you like playing football and another person in your class also loves playing football;
there is a matching of your interests. There are higher chances that you may become friends.
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3. Common motives and goals : When people have common motives or goals, they get together and
form a group which may facilitate their goal attainment.

Stages of Group Formation

Tuckman suggested that groups pass through five developmental sequences.

1. Formation / forming stage- When group members first meet, there is a great deal of uncertainty
about the group, the goal, and how it is to be achieved. People try to know each other and assess
whether they will fit in. There is excitement as well as apprehensions.
2. Storming- storming. In this stage, there is conflict among members about how the target of the group
is to be achieved, who is to control the group and its resources, and who is to perform what task.
When this stage is complete, some sort of hierarchy of leadership in the group develops
3. Norming- Group members by this time develop norms related to group behaviour. This leads to
development of a positive group identity.
4. Performing- The group moves towards achieving the group goal. For some groups, this may be the
last stage of group development.
5. Adjourning- In this stage, once the function is over, the group may be disbanded. Eg- in the case of
an organising committee for a school function.

During the process of group formation, groups also develop a structure. We should remember that group
structure develops as members interact.

Elements of Group Structure

Important elements of group structure are :

1. Roles are socially defined expectations that individuals in a given situation are expected to fulfil. For
e.g. As a daughter or a son, you are expected to respect elders.

2. Norms are expected standards of behaviour and beliefs established, agreed upon, and enforced by
group members. They may be considered as a group’s ‘unspoken rules’.

3. Status refers to the relative social position given to group members by others.It can be of two types:-
● Ascribed- given may be because of one’s seniority.
● Achieved- the person has achieved status because of expertise or hard work.

4. Cohesiveness refers to togetherness, binding, or mutual attraction among group members. It refers to
the term spirit, a ‘we feeling’ or a sense of belongingness. As the group becomes more cohesive,
group members start to think, feel and act as a social unit, and less like isolated individuals. Members
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of a highly cohesive group have a greater desire to remain in the group. Extreme Cohesiveness may
not be beneficial always, as it may lead to Groupthink.

5. Groupthink: A mode of thinking in which the desire to reach unanimous agreement the group may
take irrational and improper decisions.

Types of Groups-

People may belong to different types of group. Major types of groups are:
- primary and secondary groups
- formal and informal groups
- ingroup and outgroup.

S No. Primary Groups Secondary Groups

1. Are pre-existing formations which are usually given Are those which the individual joins by
to the individual. For e.g family, caste and religion. choice. For e.g. membership of a political
party.

2. There is a face-to-face interaction, close physical Relationships among members are more
proximity, and they share warm emotional bonds. impersonal, indirect, and less frequent.

3. Are central to an individual's functioning and have a No such role is played by Secondary
very major role in developing values and ideals of groups.
the individual during the early stages of life.

4. Boundaries are less permeable, i.e. members do not It is easy to leave and join another group.
have the option to choose its membership.

S No. Formal Groups Informal Groups

1. Functions of the group are stated explicitly Functions of the group are not explicitly and
and formally formally stated.

2. The formation of formal groups is based on No specific rules/laws and roles governing their
some specific rules or laws and members have behavior.
definite roles.
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S No. In Group Out Group

1. Refers to one’s own group. Refers to another group.

2. We use the term WE. We use the term THEY.

3. People in the ingroup are generally supposed Members of the outgroup are viewed differently
to be similar, are viewed favourably, and have and are often perceived negatively in comparison
desirable traits. to the ingroup members.

Influence Of Group On Individual Behaviour

We will discuss two situations :

I. an individual performing an activity alone in the presence of others (social facilitation), and
II. an individual performing an activity along with the others as part of a larger group (social loafing).

Social Facilitation

Research suggests that presence of others leads to arousal and can motivate individuals to enhance their
performance if they are already good at solving something. This enhancement occurs when a person’s efforts
are individually evaluated.

Social Loafing

It is a reduction in individual effort when working on a collective task, i.e. one in which outputs are pooled
with those of other group members.
An example of such a task is the game of tug- of-war. Such situations give opportunities to group members
to relax and become a free rider.

Why does social loafing occur?

● Group members feel less responsible for the overall task being performed and therefore exert less
effort.
● Motivation of members decreases because they realise that their contributions will not be evaluated
on individual basis.
● The performance of the group is not to be compared with other groups.
● There is an improper coordination (or no coordination) among members.
● Belonging to the same group is not important for members. It is only an aggregate of individuals.
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Social loafing may be reduced by:

● Making the efforts of each person identifiable.

● Increasing the pressure to work hard (making group members committed to successful task
performance).
● Increasing the apparent importance or value of a task.
● Making people feel that their individual contribution is important.
● Strengthening group cohesiveness which increases the motivation for successful group outcome.

Group Polarisation
● It has been found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals alone.

● Tendency of the group to take extreme decisions than individuals alone. The strengthening of the
group’s initial position as a result of group interaction and discussion is referred to as group
polarisation.
● This may sometimes have dangerous repercussions for the group.

Why does group polarisation occur?

● In the company of like-minded people, we are likely to hear newer arguments favouring our
viewpoints. This will make us more favourable towards our decision.
● When we find others also favouring our decision, we feel that this view is validated by the public.
This is a sort of bandwagon effect.

● When we find people having similar views, we are likely to perceive them as ingroup. We start
identifying with the group, begin showing conformity, and as a consequence our views become
strengthened.