Group Processes Pt1
Why study groups?
• "If we take care of the individual, psychologically speaking, the groups will take care of
themselves."
• If we study individuals, we will know about groups, because a groups is just a collection
of individuals?
Types of groups
• Strong interpersonal relationships
o Families
o Small groups of close friends
• Formed to fulfil task(s)
o Committees
o Work groups
Different types of groups
• Groups based on large social categories
o Women; Americans
• Groups based on weak social relationships
o e.g. people who enjoy Talor Swifts music; people from same local area
• Transitory groups
o e.g. people waiting at the bus stop; people in the queue at the bank
• Minimal groups
o Split randomly into two-groups
o ??
Demonstrates how easily bias (and groups), I.e. in-group favouritism, can devolp!
Social Facilitation: Early Work
Triplett (1898)
• Observed track cyclists and found performances were faster when:
o Timed alone
o Timed and racing alongside other cyclists
• Hypothesised that thw presence of the audience, particularly in a competition,
'energised' performance on motor tasks.
o Triplett tested this hypothesis using a 'fishing line' apparatus and found that
children performed better when racing agaisnt eachother than when alone.
Allport (1920)
• Termed this phenomenon 'Social Facilitation'
• He suggested a more generalised effect: 'Mere Presence'
o Mere presence is defined as an "Entirely passive and unresponsive audience
that is only physically present"
• Improvement in performance due to the mere presence of others as co-actors or passive
audience
• Not just humans: Kangaroos, monkeys and horses eat more and run faster when other
members of their species are doing the same thing.
Why study groups?
• "If we take care of the individual, psychologically speaking, the groups will take care of
themselves."
• If we study individuals, we will know about groups, because a groups is just a collection
of individuals?
Types of groups
• Strong interpersonal relationships
o Families
o Small groups of close friends
• Formed to fulfil task(s)
o Committees
o Work groups
Different types of groups
• Groups based on large social categories
o Women; Americans
• Groups based on weak social relationships
o e.g. people who enjoy Talor Swifts music; people from same local area
• Transitory groups
o e.g. people waiting at the bus stop; people in the queue at the bank
• Minimal groups
o Split randomly into two-groups
o ??
Demonstrates how easily bias (and groups), I.e. in-group favouritism, can devolp!
Social Facilitation: Early Work
Triplett (1898)
• Observed track cyclists and found performances were faster when:
o Timed alone
o Timed and racing alongside other cyclists
• Hypothesised that thw presence of the audience, particularly in a competition,
'energised' performance on motor tasks.
o Triplett tested this hypothesis using a 'fishing line' apparatus and found that
children performed better when racing agaisnt eachother than when alone.
Allport (1920)
• Termed this phenomenon 'Social Facilitation'
• He suggested a more generalised effect: 'Mere Presence'
o Mere presence is defined as an "Entirely passive and unresponsive audience
that is only physically present"
• Improvement in performance due to the mere presence of others as co-actors or passive
audience
• Not just humans: Kangaroos, monkeys and horses eat more and run faster when other
members of their species are doing the same thing.
