Welcome to a Presentation on Group Dynamics Courtesy of: The CURTAIN CLOSERS

Welcome to a Presentation on

Group DynamicsCourtesy of:

The CURTAIN CLOSERS(a.k.a. Brooke, Jessica, Suzie, Jess, & Kayla)

What is group

dynamics?

Group dynamics • Group dynamics refers to what is HAPPENING IN

GROUPS• Refers to complex forces that are acting upon

every thought• DYNAMICS ARE ALWAYS MOVING, DOING

SOMETHING, CHANGING

The History of Group Dynamics

The History of Group Dynamics

•The study of small group behavior is a relatively modern development.

It’s a sub-discipline of social psychology

•Group research was a popular topic within social psychology in North America during the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s.

Many of the studies during this time were done in controlled, artificial laboratory settings with short-term groups.

The History of Group Dynamics Continued…

• The Michigan School

• The Harvard School

• The Illinois School

The Schools of Research

The History of Group Dynamics Continued…

• Was called this because many of the it’s early researchers came from the University of Michigan.

• Treated groups as social systems that influence members.

• The bulk of the work that from the Michigan School perspective was laboratory experimental, involving groups of strangers, working under artificial conditions, and for short time periods.

The Michigan School

The History of Group Dynamics Continued…

• Treated groups as social systems for patterning human interaction.

• Was called this because much of it was inspired by and built around R. F. Bales and his colleagues at Harvard University.

The Harvard School

The History of Group Dynamics Continued…

• Was called this because a lot of its contributors had a connection with the University of Illinois.

• Treated groups as systems for getting tasks performed.

• A relatively small portion of work from this perspective tried to explore systematically the differential effects of various input conditions of group performance of tasks of different types.

The Illinois School

The History of Group Dynamics Continued…

• By the late ’60s and early ‘70s group research suffered.– Because each school had distinct objectives,

none of the schools really paid attention to each other.

– As a result, Each school eventually reached the limits of what could be learned within that closely bound paradigm

Weaknesses of the Different Schools

The History of Group Dynamics Continued…

• Research flourished simultaneously in a number of other disciplines like organizational behavior, speech communication, and political science.– The study of small groups in other fields

blended work from more than just one of the schools.

However…

Important Figures

Kurt Lewin

The Basics• Considered to be the founder of this whole movement to study groups scientifically

• Coined the term “group dynamics”

• Definition: the way groups react to changing circumstances

Roots: Gestalt psychology- theory and practice, laboratory techniques applies to social behavior (evident in T-Groups TBD)

Interested in how group interactions can be uniform, like identifying patterns of behavior

And More Lewin

More Lewin2 Ideas Within Group Dynamics:

- interdependence of fate (individual’s fate depends on the group’s fate)

- and task interdependence (group becomes a group because they share a common objective)

T-Groups•National Training Laboratories:A training program for groups, now used for team building• Was partly used for research- it is a laboratory method with observation by trainers and researchers• It is individual learning for participants, you can learn about yourself, how you interact with others• Totally focused on the process• Feedback is key

T-Group Objectives(a lot like what we’re learning in core)

• Increase your understanding of group development and dynamics. • Gaining a better understanding of the underlying social processes

at work within a group (looking under the tip of the iceberg) • Increase interpersonal skills • Experiment with changes in your behavior • Increase your skill in facilitating group effectiveness. • Increase your awareness of your own feelings in the moment; and

offer you the opportunity to accept responsibility for your feelings. • Increase your ability to manage and utilize conflict. • Increase your understanding of the impact of your behavior on

others. • Increase your sensitivity to others' feelings. • Increase your ability to give and receive feedback. • Increase your ability to learn from your own and a group's

experience.

Robert F. Bales

Basics• Professor at Harvard, where he received his PhD

• His research focused on interpersonal interaction in small groups and searched for reoccurring patterns- influenced by Kurt Lewin

Bale’s Coding systemsFirst coding system was IPA (Interactive Process Analysis), which was used to classify group behavior into task- and relationship-oriented behaviors

This then developed into SYMLOG (Systematic Multiple Level Observation of Groups) in 1970

SYMLOGA method of rating or scoring group interaction by an observer or by the participants themselvesThe multiple levels are: non-verbal and verbal behaviors with sublevels within those, also the identification of judgments

Simplified rating form: Reading was an example of a SYMLOG questionnaire

Adjective Ratings“Dominance/submission. Is this member active, outgoing, and talkative - or passive, quiet and introverted?Friendliness/unfriendliness. Is this member warm, open and positive – or negative and irritable?Acceptance of authority/non-acceptance of authority. Is this member analytical, and task-oriented – or emotional, untraditional and (possibly) resentful?” (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/robert_freed_bales.htm)

Additional information

on group dynamics

Topics in Group dynamics• Group development:

• 1. Forming: comes together and gets to know one another• 2. Storming: a chaotic vying for leadership• 3. Norming: eventually agreement on group operation• 4. Performing: the group practices is crafted and becomes effective in

its meaning objectives• 5. Adjourning: in forming the group

• Group Size: optimal is between 6-16• Risky Shift: the risks people take individually versus what

they will do in groups• Social Support• Group Mix• Group Norms

Group culture • Small groups form their own culture• “Small groups evolve ideals and traditional ways of doing

things, and those ideals and traditions also become normative.“ (Wilson & Hanna, p.39)

• For successful group a collectivist culture needs to take precedence over the individual needs• Collectivist Culture: a culture that values group needs

and goals more than individual needs and goals

Group culture • A shared culture allows for group goals to be formed• Knowing each goal• Halfway measure enforcing emerging norms that each

member had on an assignment• Encouraging each other

• This aids in building a NORM of quality within the group

Group Dynamics: Important Terms

• Group Form• Norm• Statuses• Role• Network

Group Dynamics: Group Form

• Group form is also known as composition. Within group form are the concepts of:– Norms– Status– Roles– Network

Group Norms• GROUP NORMS: standards behavior of groups

impose on their members• Group rules are created• The do’s and the don’ts that result from the

interactions of group members over time• Standard model/pattern of behavior form

• Norms evolve!

Evolution of Group Norms• 1. Collective evaluation: shared beliefs about what should be

doing• 2. Collective expectation: predictions of what people will do

rather than what they ought to• This creates a group truth

• 3. Reaction to behavior/adaptation to behavior• **EVOLUTION of norms is important to group and can help

with success and cohesiveness• If there are damaging norms groups can• Identify the concern• Ask group members to discuss their perceptions• Finally find an agreement to grow from

Group Structure• This is the how and what of group communication• Communication networks are complex in the organization but

can establish hierarchy for its members • Groups can without any trail and notion can work on

communication patterns – TRIAL AND ERROR• In five person networks• Wheel and chain type of communication pattern is

more efficient since it centralizes on the network• Centralized networks are useful for solving complex

problems

Group Dynamics: Status•Status: A positive or negative position based off of one’s power, prestige, access to resources, and other means.•Types of Status:• Ascribed (Given)• Achieved (Earned)•Social Stratification: A categorization of individuals based off of their power and wealth in a given society. • Major-Race, Ethnicity, gender, etc. • Hidden- Age, weight, disability, etc.

Group Dynamics: Development

• There are many new ways of how to form groups, which then in turn creates different ways of having group dynamics.– Reasons why ascribed and achieved

Group Dynamics: Network

• Network: Patterns of connection among a set group of points.

• Wheel-Centralized• Chain- Serial/Compare parallel• Circle- Closed• Completely Connected-Distributed• Redundantly Connected-Districted

• Your role is the part you play in a group.• Formal roles: are assigned on the basis of a

member's formal position or title and are sometimes called positional roles.

• Informal roles: sometimes called behavioral roles, are the parts people play that reflect their personality traits, habits, and behaviors in the group.

Group Roles

Role Functions in a small GroupTask Roles: Encompass behaviors that contribute to the accomplishment of the group’s task.

• Initiating and orienting• Information giving• Information seeking• Opinion giving• Clarifying

• Elaborating• Summarizing• Consensus testing• Recording• Suggesting Procedure

Maintenance Roles: Incorporate those behaviors that help the group maintain harmonious relationships and a cohesive interpersonal climate.

Establishing normsSupportingHarmonizingTension relievingDramatizingShowing solidarity

Role Functions in a small Group

Individual Roles: Consist of self-centered behaviors.

• With drawing• Blocking• Status seeking and

recognition seeking• Playing• Acting helpless

Role Functions in a small Group

Bibliography• Galanes, A. (2009). Communication in groups: Application and skills. New Yory: Frank Mortimer• Heiss, D. (2000). SYMLOG Questionnaires. Indiana University. Retrieved from:

www.psychology.sbc.edu/Kurt%20Lewin.htm• Forsyth, D. (1997). The scientific study of groups: An editorial. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and

Practice, 1(1), 3-6. • Knowles M. & Knowles H. (1959) Introduction to group dynamics. Broadway, NY. Association Pres.• Light Bryan Consulting. (n. d.). The history of group dynamics. Retrieved from

http://www.lightbryan.com/explain/grouphistory.html• Kagan, J., Kelman, H. C., Stone, P. J., & Mahler, B. A. (2005). Robert Freed Bales. Retrieved from

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/04.20/20-mm.html• McGrath, J. (1997). Small group research, that once and future field: An interpretation of the past with an eye

to the future. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 1(1), 7-27.•  Neill, J. (2007, April 3). Group dynamics, processes & development. Retrieved from

http://wilderdom.com/Group.html#Introduction• Payne, K. J. (2005, March 30). Group Dynamics. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from :

http://outopia.org/teach/socpsy/SPSY4-gd.pdf• Scanzoni, J. (1983). Review: Untitled. The American Journal of Sociology, 88(4), pp. 814-816.• Smith, M. K. (2001). Kurt Lewin, groups, experiential learning and action research. The encyclopedia of

informal education. Retrieved from: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm • Smith, M. K. (2008). Robert Freed Bales, Group observation and interaction processes. The encyclopedia of

informal education. Retrieved from: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/robert_freed_bales.htm