Lauren Hedrick September 17th 2013 Social Groups Group Relationships Groups and Group interactions are of great interest to sociologists Dangerous behaviors strongly associated with presence of peers Teen drivers are more likely to drive dangerously and show off when in the presence of their peers which is a more risky behavior Group Two or more people bound in stable patterns of social interaction share a sense of unity and having the potential to influence one another Ties The association formed between members of a group o Expressive Ties Social links formed when we emotionally invest ourselves in and commit ourselves to other people o Instrumental Ties Social links formed when we cooperate with other Marriage Friendships people to achieve some goal Playing on a team together Co workers Primary Group Small group characterized by intimate informal interaction o Usually expressive ties o Most of our socialization comes from interaction in primary groups o Lasts for a lasting periods of time Secondary Group Two or more people in an impersonal relationship who have come together for a specific purpose o Usually instrumental ties o People are more likely to o More goal oriented o Lasts for a limited periods of time In Groups and Out Groups o In Groups Group we identify we belong to and with which we identify Typically provide social identities o Out Groups Group we do not belong to nor with which we identify Helps explain boundaries Boundaries Social demarcation lines that tell where interaction begins and ends Reference Group Social units used for appraising and shaping attitudes feelings and actions o Provide normative and comparative functions o Refers to the psychological group which we belong to o May or may not be the actual group we belong to Group Dynamics How group affects individuals How individuals affect groups Social Facilitation Increase performance with the presence of others o Running a race with others around motivates you to run faster Loafing The presence of others inhibits the performance of an individual o The Ringleman Effect Students pulled as hard as they could on a rope and their efforts were measured Alone Lauren Hedrick September 17th 2013 Group of 7 Group of 12 People tended to work harder when they were pulling alone Effort put into pulling decreased as the group size increased o Why do people loaf People believe others will pick up their slack Challenging tasks have a less likely chance of experiencing social loafing Simple easy tasks are more likely to experience social loafing Groupthink The process by which members in a cohesive group arrive at a decision which each individual member believes to be unwise o Activating Conditions Highly cohesive Insulation Directive Leader Lack of Procedures High Stress Example Bay of Pigs 1961 o Combating Groupthink Encourage criticism Remain Impartial Independent Subcommittees Seek outside opinions Assign a devil s advocate Social Dilemma o The Paradox Members of a group faced with a conflict between maximizing their personal interests and maximizing the collective welfare Individually rational behavior produces collective irrationality Tragedy of the Commons Hardin 1968 Classic example of the goat farm The more goats you have the more you get paid for each goats but when getting too many goats you will run out of grass Free Riders People who partake in experiences while maximizing their own profit and contributing nothing in return to the greater society Different from social loafing because free riders gain from their experiences and social loafing is more of a psychological thing Conformity Powerful social pressures operate in group settings and produce conformity o Asch 1952 line length study Clear task Average rate of conformity of around 35 Subjects face an incorrect majority o Milgram s Experiment 1963 obedience Lauren Hedrick September 17th 2013 A teacher is instructed by an experimenter to shock a learner every time they answered a question wrong Both the experimenter and the learner are actors the teacher is the individual being studied 65 of people went up to the top switch on the board We obey when The victim is emotionally and physically distant The authority is physically close The authority is legitimate Other group members also obey We lack a script for disobedience Authority and isolation is powerful combination o Desire to be correct o Desire to be accepted by the group Leadership o Leaders Group members who exert more influence than others Instrumental Leader Devoted to appraising problem and organizing people s activity to deal with it Expressive Leader Focuses on overcoming interpersonal problems defusing tensions and promoting solidarity o Leadership Styles Authoritarian Democratic Laissez faire Mixed