Influences of Group 1

Influences of Group Behavior

Nakia Melecio Doctoral Candidate

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Influences of Group Behavior

The very core of social development is a result of a myriad of basic elements that are

environmental, physiological, and even emotional, among other aspects of being. Controlled and

uncontrolled environments, such as school, home, and peer relationships, often trigger thoughts,

feelings, and emotions that ultimately influence how we react to various situations, whether

individually or within a group. They are an important piece of the puzzle of understanding

human behavior, as they play a major role in a plethora of activities and behaviors that contribute

to social development (Feldman, 2009). More specifically, it is important to identify with

experiences and settings that influence group behavior. Hence, in doing so, the following text

will discuss the research in evaluating social psychology, group behavior, and their correlated

trends and emerging issues, in addition to how perceptions and other social factors, such as

family, impact general social behavior.

Research Evaluation

The evolution of social psychology is one that has been more highly scrutinized in the

past few decades. Considering how the world continues to become more of a melting pot, with

advanced technology, social media, the Internet, among other super-charged conduits to

individual and group interaction, social psychology has transcended the conventional wisdom of

mere scientific study. After all, as the world has become more open and cohesive, yet

competitive; more similar, yet diverse, social psychology has given new meaning to behaviors,

such as aggression, peacemaking, and self-perception.

What’s interesting about the realms of social psychology is that the growing trend of

evaluating interpersonal relationships, or group dynamics. Thoughts, feelings, and emotions

reign supreme within the confines of people interactions; therefore, it is observational methods
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that seem to stand out in current research, especially considering how modern socialization has

placed people in a fish bowl, per se.

Let’s face it, as it relates to life experiences, social psychology seems to transcend its

conventional mold. With the advent of reality television and other semi-controlled, pop cultural

environments, studying how people, especially groups, react to different influences has become

an obsession that’s been cleverly and aggressively placed on the world stage. “Research

examining the effects of media exposure demonstrates that media consumption has a measurable

influence on people’s perceptions of the real world, and, regardless of the accuracy of these

perceptions, they are used to help guide subsequent attitudes, judgments, and actions” (Behm-

Morawitz and Mastro, n.d.).

This perspective could also extend to politics, as more than ever before politicians use

media, social or otherwise, more frequently to persuade polls, votes, and many other outcomes.

Also, there is consideration for how these very same politicians react to social influences, to

include but not limited to something as seemingly trivial as what others think about what they

eat, especially considering how heightened optics are in a world that becomes more all-seeing

with each passing year. That being said, one has to wonder how much social psychologists step

outside the box to leverage the abundance of staged, non-traditional environments as a part of

their research methodology.

Interestingly enough, Lopez (2001) found that the need for social approval is positively

associated with attachment anxiety. That study also reported that the need for social approval

explained unique variance in the tendency to use splitting of others as a psychological defense,

above and beyond the variance accounted for. That being said, while the aforementioned

methods stray from pure academia, when presented with many of these situations, aggression
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and peace-making seem to go hand-in-hand. After all, it’s quite the treat to witness ‘real life’

drama in its highest form, only to see how it’s resolved.

Suffice it to say, social psychology in its authentic form continues to stand its ground,

despite modern concepts and approaches. Like many psychological studies, social psychology

experiments are conducted in both the laboratory and field, with various levels of analysis on

either front. This includes controlled experiments, such as using two groups of children to

determine how violent television programming influences aggression in youth. As mentioned,

experiment can be that scripted or have a more liberal, unstructured approach.

Concepts of Social Psychology

Of all the many concepts of social psychology, it seems that attitudes prevail. Some

previously mentioned include those of aggression and peacemaking. Perhaps one of the most

interesting concepts is that of self-perception, which focuses on views and beliefs about oneself

(Loveday, 2007). Similar to self-esteem, what’s typically debated about self-perception and

many other attitudes is whether or not it comes prior to behavior or if it is essentially an innate

internal state (Bem, 1972). Perhaps the external views of self-perception, if any, stem from

influences from peer groups, families, and other outside forces that pose, or impose in some

cases, an opinion about a person. In any case, self-perception warrants an introspection that

Often based on life experiences that sometimes impact much, if not all, of a person’s

perspective on life, in a simple twist of vantage points, self-perception demonstrates personalized

ideas of interpersonal relationships, and even values and interests. It is important to understand

how self-perception stems from our own evolution, such as the many changes we experience as a

part of growing up. Perhaps one of the most significant social influences in that process is

family life, since that is the social group where most foundations are laid.
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Additionally, self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-expression are just a few of the factors

that influence social expression that generally manifests itself in thoughts, feelings, and

interactive behaviors (Cherry, n.d.). Social psychologists are interested in learning more about

how this inner life of self-perception influences outer lives and the social world. Essentially,

there are so many influences on thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, especially in a world that

seems adamant about breaking down barriers on so many levels, to include but limited to that of

diverse cultures, values, and belief systems.

Social Influences

Some of the most significant factors that influence development include but are not

limited to socialization, heredity, maturation, and family environment. More specifically, this

includes experiences people have in the home, work and community. That potentially includes

the extended community, which in these times can encompass virtual environments, such as Face

Book, Twitter, and other social networking entities. As people assimilate into various group

settings, and even become more comfortable with themselves, they become more prone or

adaptable to these various external factors, which in turn, influence their attitudes and behaviors

– good, bad, or indifferent.

With a focus on positive influences, like church, family, and school, people usually have

productive, proactive interactions that lead to heightened sense of confidence and awareness.

People who surround themselves with positive influences are more motivated to accomplish

goals and transcend the status quo. For example, a person is “more likely to lose weight if

friends are losing too” (Anonymous, 2010). People typically have a better chance of doing

something beneficial when associated with like-minded-people. Sometimes that motivation

exists within interest groups or support groups. There are even cases when those positive
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influences derive from the admiration of someone great, like a famous celebrity (Anonymous,

2010).

Unfortunately, not all influences are positive, as the opposite is also true. “Those with

poor self-control influence others negatively. Because people mimic the behavior of others, their

examples could result in the spread of characteristics such as smoking, drug use and obesity

through their social networks” (Anonymous, 2010). This seems to be an underlying danger in

various media, such as social networking, the Internet, and television. Not all information and

programming represents positive influences, especially with the prevalence of violence, sex,

drugs, and other controversial aspects of life experiences that are so liberally portrayed via the

aforementioned channels of influence. Furthermore, when you have celebrities promoting

profanity, indecent exposure, or eating disorders, for whatever reason this becomes socially

acceptable, and what’s more, it poses a threat to those most impressionable, like young children

or people with low self-esteem.

Cultural Influences

The world is chock full of diverse cultural traditions and beliefs that have a greater

influence, considering the ability to expose these differences as a part of advanced socialization

that stems from globalization. There is something to be said for diversity that instills inclusion

as a part of embracing differences along with similarities, such as in the work place, where

people from all walks of life have to work together. Usually when people work together, there

are times when cultural influences are taken on via osmosis, per se, in that people start adopting

or mimicking what they like, regardless of its cultural origination.

Cultural influences are not restricted to racial, ethnic, religious, or geographical groups.

Consider pop culture, which boasts a plethora of genres and art forms, ranging from music to
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film. Sometimes all it takes is turning on the television or radio; or going to a movie to get new

ideas about finances, style, food, travel, traditions, or décor. The list goes on. As previously

mentioned, these cultural influences can be positive or negative. For example, supremacy groups

that promote an isolated culture of hate can certainly influence those people who have limited,

narrow views about society and self.

Gender Influences

Much like cultural influence, more specific is the impact of gender norms. “It is argued

that individuals adopt gender characteristics in part by monitoring the rewards and consequences

associated with others’ behavior”(Behm-Morawitz and Mastro, n.d.). Perhaps the most striking

position that seems to stands out is the pervasive influence of peer pressure with girls. One could

argue that this issue is epidemic, as the portrayal of “mean girls” seems to be a cash cow and

growing trend among various forms of media influence. From trash television (e.g. “Bad Girls

Club”) to teeny-bopper movies that boast highly competitive, aggressive behavior,

“representation of female characters in the media would be expected to play a role in viewers’

perceptions regarding gender identity, which may ultimately influence attitudes and beliefs about

appropriate gender roles” (Behm-Morawitz and Mastro, n.d.).

Conclusion

In conclusion, social development is influenced by a myriad of factors. As discussed,

gender, culture, social concepts and many other aspects of socialization either positively or

adversely impact how people assimilate to social groups and view themselves. Whether via

controlled and uncontrolled experiments, social psychologists gain insight into group dynamics

that persuade varying degrees of reactions and perceptions, depending on the environment.
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From conventional approaches, such as controlled experiment groups, to more casual

observation of reactions, such as media, group behavior is a complex, yet fascinating anomaly.

Additionally, when we study human behavior and development, especially in early life,

sometimes we forget that there are very specific, physiological elements to consider. The impact

of how humans are affected by both of the social and behavioral perspectives plays a huge role in

how they deal with the culture around them. When studying human behavior, external

environment can often impact behavior, such as peer pressure, socioeconomic circumstances,

education, and other variables. This is something that can be observed inside and outside of

social groups.

I understand how human behavior affects our perception; it has provided a mirror

for understanding my own styles and shortcomings, while also setting the stage for present

and future theorist to build upon. At the end of the day, it was behavioral perspective that

has paved the way for in-depth analysis of how behaviors, in general, are intertwined. So, in

closing group behavior its clear the benefit of interacting with people from other cultures

includes the fact that we have so much to learn from each other. Diverse backgrounds and

ideas bring fresh perspectives to our mind.

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References

Anonymous. (2010). Pick social influences that are positive. Retrieved from

http://www.cascadecenters.com/index.php?tray=content&tid=top10574&cid=318

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy. Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological

Review, 84, 191-205.

Behm-Morawitz, E. and Mastro, D. (n.d.). Mean girls? The influence of gender portrayals in

teen movies on emerging adults’s gender-based attitudes and beliefs. Retrieved from

http://syndicate.missouri.edu/resources/behm-morawitz/Mean_Girls.pdf

Bem, D. (1972). Self-perception theory. Retrieved from http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Self-

Perception_Theory

Cherry, K. (n.d.). Research areas in social psychology. Retrieved from

http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/p/socialresearch.htm

Feldman, R. (2009). Understanding psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lopez, F. G., Mauricio, A. M., Gormley, B., Simko, T., & Berger, E. (2001). Adult attachment

orientations and college student distress: The mediating role of problem coping styles.

Journal of Counseling & Development, 79, 459–464.

Loveday, E. (2007). Overview of social psychology concepts. Retrieved from

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/151556/overview_of_social_psychology_conce

pts.html?cat=72