Psychology 40S

Group Behaviour & Aggression Notes

Social Psychology
What Do Groups Do?
• Groups help us satisfy our needs for affection, attention, and belonging
• Empower us to do things we could not manage by ourselves
• Can possibly pressure us to do things we would not normally do
• People may behave differently as group members than individuals
In group vs Outgroup
• Evolutionarily speaking, engaging with members of the in group and perceiving members
of the out group as threats was a way to minimize danger
In group
• A close-knit group with clearly defined boundaries between allies and enemies
• Helping those who were close to you (often family members) was critical for survival in
the ancient past
• In Group Bias
o AKA in group favouritism
o A tendency to favour one’s in-group over members of out-groups
o Competition for resources leads to bonding & alliances inside groups
• Self-identity & social identity play a role in how we evaluate, treat, and share resources
with others
o E.g., joining a gang – think about the vice documentary

Out-Group Bias
• People have a tendency to notice individual differences in their own group members but
believing all members of the out-group are the “same”
o E.g., thinking all the people in your friend group are unique/special while thinking
anyone outside is boring/uncool
Social Identification Theory
• Being part of a group can have significant impact on behaviour and identify of members
• When people are part of a social in-group, they may discriminate or engage in hostile
behaviour toward out-groups
Social Facilitation
• An effect of groups on individual behaviour
• A person’s performance is increased when there is a real or imagined presence of others
o E.g., A musician/actor/performer who becomes energized by having an audience
and does a better performance
o Finding that you do better work if you go to a library than if you stay at home to
study
o A weightlifter who is able to lift heavier weights when doing it in front of others
versus doing it alone
 Psychology 40S
Group Behaviour & Aggression Notes
Social Psychology
What Kind of Things Can Affect Performance in Groups?

Evaluation Apprehension

• Social facilitation may be influenced by concern of being evaluated

• People can become distracted by focusing too much on an audience’s reaction
• If you suspect you’ve made a mistake, you may spiral and make even more mistakes in a
performance

Social Loafing

• Presence of others can impair performance when we are anonymous members of a group
• Individuals fail to make a significant effort or mess around when they believe they won’t
be held accountable
o E.g., messing around with your coworkers/wasting time when you’re working at
your after-school job
• Individuals reduce efforts if an apparently capable member does not contribute and gets a
free ride from others
o A diffusion of responsibility
o E.g., group projects; one member does not contribute, others reduce their
contribution
Group Decision Making
Group decisions are believed to be more accurate and valid than individual decisions
There are “rules” that govern a lot of group decision making
1. Majority Rules Scheme
▪ Guides decision making when there is no single objectively correct
decision
▪ E.g., picking what toppings to get on a pizza at a pizza party
2. Truth Wins Scheme
▪ The group over time decides an approach based on new information and
opinions that come to light
▪ E.g., a panel of judges deciding whether students should be admitted to
college based on standardized test scores; they need to know if scores
predict college success, or if they unfairly discriminate against groups of
people
3. First-shift rule
▪ A deadlocked jury may eventually follow the lead of the first juror to
switch their position
Mob Behaviour
 Psychology 40S
Group Behaviour & Aggression Notes
Social Psychology
• When people have the tendency to do something as a member of a group that they
normally would not have done as an individual
• When people act as individuals, fear of consequences and self-evaluation prevent us from
engaging in antisocial behaviour
• In a mob, they may follow a norm that emerges in a specific situation, even if it means
ignoring your own values
Deindividuation
• A state in which a person is willing to follow a norm that is against their beliefs or values
• Occurs through factors such as:
• Anonymity diffusion of responsibility
• Arousal due to noise/crowds
• Fights at sports
• Protest marches when they get out of hand
Aggression
• Biological Aspects
o Nonhumans show instinctive aggressive reactions in response to certain stimuli
o Involved with the hypothalamus in the brain
▪ E.g., male robin responds aggressively to the red breast of another robin
▪ E.g., electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus triggers stereotypical
aggressive behaviour in lower animals such as monkeys
o Humans have more complex brain structures than monkeys
▪ Brain chemistry plays a role
▪ Testosterone appears to affect domination and control of other people
▪ Men typically have higher testosterone than women
▪ Group membership may influence aggression (rowdy vs well-behaved
fraternities)
▪ T levels vary by occasion, e,g., higher when winning a competition or a
fight
• Psychological Aspects
o Males are more likely to behave aggressively than females
o Females are more likely to empathize with the victim
o Empathy encourages helping behaviour
o Aggression is reinforced through learning
▪ Strong, agile organisms are likely to be reinforced for aggressive
behaviour
▪ E.g., food, mating, escaping a predator
▪ Social approval
▪ Children are less likely to act aggressively when teachers and
classmates show strong disapproval