Chapter 3 Inclusion and Identity Just as researchers in the natural sciences use exacting procedures to study aspects of the physical environment, so do group researchers use scientific methods to further their understanding of groups. They measure as precisely as possible group processes, develop theories that provide coherent explanations for the group phenomenon they study, and collect evidence to test the What are the three critical requirements of a scientific approach to the study of groups? How do researchers measure group processes? What are the key characteristics of and differences between case, experimental, and correlational studies of group processes? What are the strengths and weaknesses of case, experimental, and correlational methods? 2 Studying Groups
Chapter 3 Inclusion and Identity Just as researchers in the natural sciences use exacting procedures to study aspects of the physical environment, so do.
Dec 16, 2015
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Chapter 3Inclusion and Identity
Just as researchers in the natural sciences use exacting procedures to study aspects of the physical environment, so do group researchers use scientific methods to further their understanding of groups. They measure as precisely as possible group processes, develop theories that provide coherent explanations for the group phenomenon they study, and collect evidence to test the adequacy of their predictions and assumptions.
What are the three critical requirements of a scientific approach to the study of groups?
How do researchers measure group processes?
What are the key characteristics of and differences between case, experimental, and correlational studies of group processes?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of case, experimental, and correlational methods?
What theoretical perspectives guide researchers’ studies of groups?
2Studying Groups
Measure-ment
Observation
Self-report
Research Methods
Case Studies
Experiments
Correlational Studies
Issues
Theoretical Perspectives
Motivation & Emotion
Behavioral
Systems
Cognitive
Biological
2 Studying Groups
What Are the Three Critical Requirements of a
Scientific Study of Groups?
Reliable and valid measurement
Research procedures to test hypotheses about groups
Theories that organize knowledge of groups
William Foote White’s study of “corner boys” in Street Corner Society
Types: Overt Covert Participant
Measurement
Observation
Long John
Doc
Danny
Angelo
Mike
Nutsy
Frank Fred
Carl
Alec
Joe Lou
Tommy
Bill
The Nortons
Issue: Hawthorne Effects
Types: Qualitative vs. Quantitative (structured)
Example: Robert Freed Bales Interaction Process Analysis system
Measurement
Observation
Self-report measures: group members
describe their perceptions and experiences
Example: Moreno's sociometry method
In
Out
A Sociogram
Measurement
Self-report
Doc
Lou
Alex
Joe
Frank
Tommy
Carl
Nutsy
Long John
MikeDanny
Angelo
Fred
Social network analysis
Research Methods
Case Studies
Experiments
Correlational Studies
Issues
Case Studies
Research Methods
An in-depth analysis of one or more groups based on interviews, observation, analysis of archival documents, and so on.
Example: Irving Janis’s analysis of groupthink
Case Studies
Research Methods
Other examples
Research Methods
Experiments
Key Ingredients:
• Manipulate one or more independent variables
• Measure one or more dependent variables
• Control other variables, as much as possible
Example: Lewin, Lippitt, & White’s leadership study
Strength: Causal inference
Research Methods
Correlational Studies
Key Ingredients:
• Measure two or more variables
• Assess the strength of the relationship between the variables
Example: Newcomb’s Bennington Study
Called “correlational” studies because the findings are often expressed in the form of a correlational coefficient
Key Characteristics of, and Differences Between Case, Experimental, and Correlational Studies of Group Processes
Case studies: atypical of most groups, subjective, stimulate theory
Experiments: too artificial, not “real” groups, but clearest test of cause and effect
Correlational studies: limited information about causality but precise estimates of the strength of relationships, less artificial, fewer ethical concerns
Issues
Measure-ment
Observation
Self-report
Research Methods
Case Studies
Experiments
Correlational Studies
Issues
Theoretical Perspectives
Motivation & Emotion
Behavioral
Systems
Cognitive
Biological
Studying Groups
Theoretical Perspectives
Behavioral Example: Social exchange theory
SatisfactionLevel
Quality of Alternatives
Investment Size
Commitment Level
Stay?
Theoretical Perspectives
Systems Example: Input-Process-Output Model of Group Performance
Theoretical Perspectives
CognitiveExample: Group Referent Effect
The relationship between perceptional/ inferential processes and group-level processes
Theoretical Perspectives
Biological Brain regions recruited during social rejection
Biological perspectives, such as evolutionary theory, argue that some group behaviors may be rooted in physiological and neurological processes.
Anterior insula
Measure-ment
Observation
Self-report
Research Methods
Case Studies
Experiments
Correlational Studies
Issues
Theoretical Perspectives
Motivation & Emotion
Behavioral
Systems
Cognitive
Biological
Chapter 2: Studying Groups
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