Since then social influence has become a field of study devoted to discovering the principles that determine our beliefs, create attitudes, and move us to action. Two forms of social influence are conformity (majority influence) and minority influence. Conformity is where a larger group of people change the behaviour (but not necessarily the attitudes and beliefs) of an individual or smaller group while minority influence is where a small group or an individual change the behaviour and usually the beliefs of an individual. The difference is both in the size of the ‘group’ causing the influence and the type of change it creates in the individual (compliance or conversion). As stated above majority influence is when adapt the behaviour, attitudes or values of the majority after being exposed to their values or behaviour.
Social psychologist observe human behavior and significance of influence by outside sources such as people, society, environment, and culture. Social psychologist focus on facts that underline human behavior in social settings and how individuals’ conduct him or herself under various conditions, thus, leading to behavior, actions, and feelings. According to Mcleod (2007), “Topics examined in social psychology include: the self-concept, social cognition, attribution theory, social influence, group processes, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal processes, aggression, attitudes and stereotypes” (para. 3). Social Psychology
By understanding the concepts of the each theories a person can see how they can affect the social institution, such as the family, differently and can present a more much better understanding of the concepts as they apply to reality. What are the Sociological theories? Functionalism, the Conflict Theory, and Interactionism comprise the three main sociological theories. These theories affect the way people think and perceive the world around them. As a result, the development, nature and understanding of different social institutions, including the family, health-care systems, religion, education, media, politics and economy, are determined or affected by these three social theories.
The process used to arrive at decisions may be unstructured or structured. The nature and composition of groups, their size, demographic makeup, structure, and purpose, all affect their functioning to some degree. The external contingencies faced by groups (time pressure and conflicting goals) impact the development and effectiveness of decision-making groups as well. In organizations many decisions of consequence are made after some form of group decision-making process is undertaken (Morgan 1996). However, groups are not the only form of collective work arrangement.
Running Head: Group Dynamics Group Dynamics Group dynamics is the social process by which people interact. Group dynamics form a basis for group therapy. Politicians and salesmen may make practical exploitations of principles of group dynamics for their own needs. Increasingly, group dynamics are becoming of particular interest because of online, social interaction made possible by the internet. Kurt Lewin is the founder of the movement to study groups scientifically.
Why do they stand by in a group and watch an individual be beaten rather than step up to help? These are the questions that have been researched by social psychologists and we will discuss some of the answers to these questions. We will begin by examining what some of the foundational concepts behind the way people interact are from a social psychology point of view. Communication is a key concept behind how people interact with each other. There are two major forms of communication, verbal and nonverbal.
An Essay on Group Dynamics This essay will use Gibbs’ (1988) Reflective Model (cited in Jasper, 2003, p.77) to reflect upon one specific aspect of group dynamics, while participating in problem-based learning (PBL), and will identify a particular event which occurred that demonstrates this. A discussion on theories of group dynamics will follow in order to seek possible explanations and gain further understanding of the group’s dynamics and personal team skills in relation to this event. Stage 1: Description of the event The particular aspect of group dynamics to be considered involves the formation of roles within the group and how this affected the group during the final trigger. Any names have been changed to maintain confidentiality. On the day of the final trigger we discovered that Sue our group leader had left the university.
Social Influences on Behavior Erika Whitacre PSY300 Betsy Ferronato July 7, 2014 Social Influences on Behavior Social psychology is the study of human behavior is response to other people and social situations. Within this study, factors contributing to the shift in behavior when around peers include self concept, social cognition, theory of attribution, social influence, group processes, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal process, aggression, attitudes, as well as stereotypes. Social psychologists examine how these factors and conditions contribute to the behavior, feelings, thoughts, intentions, and goals of an individual within a group setting (McLeod, 2007). Humans are social by nature and learn through observation as well as instinct. This is apparent through the differences in culture and how that produces difference of opinion, attire, family dynamic and verbal communication.
Social Exchange theory The social exchange theory, also known as communication theory of social exchange, proposes that people make decisions in social situations depending on the alleged costs and benefits of a relationship. This assumption stresses that people evaluate each of their social relationships to determine how they will benefit from a relationship and what a relationship may cost them (i.e. time, money, energy, stress, etc.). It also suggests that someone will typically leave a relationship if he or she perceives that the effort or cost of it outweighs any perceived advantages. This basic principal of social psychology is imbedded in economics, rational choice theory, and structuralism.
7. Evaluate Social Identity Theory, making reference to relevant studies Social Identity theory was developed by Tajfel (1979) to explain the relationship between social groups. Tajfel believed that social identity is the part of one’s self concept that is driven from the membership of a certain social group they belong to, which also contribute to one’s self-esteem. Examples of social identities may include racial group, nationality, social group and sports group. The three fundamental cognitive processes underlying social identity theory include categorization of our groups and other groups, identification of ourselves with the values and behavior of our groups, and comparison between us and other groups.