PSYC 1250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Social Loafing, Group Cohesiveness, Groupthink
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Social Loafing
Collective Effort Model: 3 factors
Expectancy
The belief that increased effort will end in better performance
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Instrumentality
Good behaviour will be recognized and rewarded
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Valence
What am I going to get based on my increased effort?
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Some things have value, and some do not
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When you are going to get something of value for your
performance, you are more likely to work harder
§
○
•
If it is an easy task and you are working in a group, you are more likely not to
work as hard (social loaf)
•
If it is a complicated task and you are working in a group it is not necessary that
social loafing will occur
•
If you are given a complicated assignment to do alone, you will be very stressed
if your grade depends on your answer
•
If you are given an easy task, you will be less stressed because you alone cannot
be pinpointed
•
Individual effort tends to go down in an easy task, goes up with a complicated
task
•
Reduce Social Loafing
Increase group cohesiveness
Get matching t-shirts
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Individuals perceive their contributions as unique and necessary
Give each person a specific task
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Make individual contributions readily identifiable
Keep tasks separate so each person can see their progress
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Increase member's commitment to the task
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Increase the importance or value of the task
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Module 13
Groups Intensify Decisions
Group Polarization
The tendency of group members to shift towards more extreme positions than
those they initially held as a result of group decisions
•
James Stoner- Risky Shift (every time a group makes a decision it is riskier than
what it would have been on their own)
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When does Group Polarization Occur?
2 Explanations:
Social Comparison
In a small group you may be the best, but in a larger group there are
more people to compare yourself to and so you make yourself
better than the person next to you.
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Persuasive Arguments
Other people add on to what you are thinking, or they can talk you
down from it. Either way, you are leaving with a stronger opinion
than when you went in.
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•
Groupthink
The tendency for people in groups to converge on unwise courses of action they
would have avoided if they were making the decision individually
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Doing something you’d never do by yourself, because the group you are with is
going to do it
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Social Conditions
High cohesiveness
The group is your best friends, you do it
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You don’t know the people, you don’t do it
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Insulation of the group
Whether or not you have contact with people outside of the group
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Lack of methodical procedures for search and appraisal •
Directive leadership
When the self appointed leader makes their thoughts/opinions well
known
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•
High stress with a low degree of hope for finding a better solution than the one
favoured by the leader or other influential persons
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Symptoms
Illusion of invulnerability •
Belief in inherent morality of the group•
Collective rationalization•
Stereotypes of outgroups•
Direct pressure on dissenters
5/6 say yes, 1 says no, that 1 is pressured to conform
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Self-censorship
Keeping your thoughts to yourself
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Illusion of unanimity
The group thinks they are all in this together, when really some people do
not agree
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Self-appointed mind-guards
Choose yourself to protect the mind of the leader
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Preventing Groupthink
Be impartial•
Encourage critical evaluation
Devil's advocate- disagreeing with and criticizing whatever plan or
decision is under consideration, have someone try to come up with things
that go against the views of the groups
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Welcome the input of a true dissenter
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•
Authentic dissent: one or more group member actively disagree with the
group's initial preferences without being assigned this role
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Occasionally, sub-divide the group; reunite to air differences•
Welcome critiques from outside experts and associates•
Before implementing your decision, call a second-chance meeting to air any
lingering doubts
•
Lecture 03/07
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
11:27 AM
Document Summary
The belief that increased effort will end in better performance. Some things have value, and some do not. When you are going to get something of value for your performance, you are more likely to work harder. If it is an easy task and you are working in a group, you are more likely not to work as hard (social loaf) If it is a complicated task and you are working in a group it is not necessary that social loafing will occur. If you are given a complicated assignment to do alone, you will be very stressed if your grade depends on your answer. If you are given an easy task, you will be less stressed because you alone cannot be pinpointed. Individual effort tends to go down in an easy task, goes up with a complicated task. Individuals perceive their contributions as unique and necessary. Keep tasks separate so each person can see their progress.
