4

Formation

❖ Who joins groups?

❖ When do people
seek out others?
❖ What processes
generate bonds of
interpersonal
attraction between
members of
groups?
 The Five Factor
Joining Groups Model of Personality

Who Joins Groups and

Who Remains Apart?

Ways in which
each person is like
some other people;
❑ Who is the most
dimensions of
extraverted, agreeable,
variation among
conscientious, neurotic,
people
and open person in any
group?
The Five Factor Model
(FFM) describes the
“big 5” personality
traits or dimensions of
difference.
 Personality and The Five Factor
Model of Personality
Individual Differences
• Warmth
• Gregariousness
❑ A person’s personality • Assertiveness
can include all the • Activity level
facets of each trait, or Facets of • Excitement seeking
Extraversion-
only some of them… • Expressive of positive
Introversion emotions
❑ Traits may influence
the type of groups a • Trust
person joins • Straightforwardness
(personality-group fit) Facets of • Altruism
Agreeableness • Compliance
❑ Other “individual • Modesty
differences” to • Tender-mindedness.
consider: attachment,
anxiety (shyness),
social motives,
gender, previous
experiences, etc.
Anxiety and Attachment

Individuals
who are
socially
inhibited, shy,
and anxious
are less likely
to join groups.
Social Motivation

Social motives predict people’s

interest in joining groups

❑ need for affiliation (and

rejection sensitivity)
❑ need for intimacy
❑ need for power

These motives are often measured

using indirect, projective tests and
“experience sample” methods
Joining Groups

Sex differences in group engagement are

relatively minor.

■ Women tend to be higher than men in

relationality.
■ Women seek membership in smaller, informal,
intimate groups, whereas men seek membership
in larger, more formal, task-focused groups.
■ These differences are likely due, in part, to sex
roles and sexism.
Attitudes, Experiences, People’s attitudes, experiences, and expectations
Expectations are all factors that influence their decision to join a
group.

Karau’s Beliefs about Groups Scale

Attitudes, Experiences, People’s attitudes, experiences, and expectations
Expectations are all factors that influence their decision to join a
group.

Note: Sense of Injustice + Negative Emotions (Anger) = Social Movement Participation

 Affiliation
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Affiliation is the gathering together of

conspecifics in one location.

Affiliation becomes more likely in some

situations and less likely in others.

When individuals face uncertain or

bewildering conditions, when they
experience stressful circumstances, and
when they are fearful (but not
embarrassed), by joining a group they
can gain the information and social
support they need to help them cope
with difficult circumstances.
Social Comparison Affiliation and social comparison

Social comparison: gaining information from

other people’s reactions
(Festinger, 1954)

Psychological
reaction Affiliation
Ambiguous, and social Cognitive
confusing •Negative comparison Clarity
emotions with others
circumstances
•Uncertainty
•Need for
information
Social Comparison
Schachter’s studies of
affiliation

How do people react

in an ambiguous,
➢ Misery loves frightening situation?
company: People
affiliate with others
➢ Misery loves
miserable company:
Schachter found people
prefer to wait with others
facing a similar
experience.
Social Comparison
Schachter’s studies of
affiliation

How do people react

in an ambiguous,
➢ Misery loves frightening situation?
company: People
affiliate with others
➢ Misery loves
miserable
company:
Schachter found
people prefer to wait
with others facing a
similar experience.
 Other Motives May Reduce Affiliation

Morris and his colleagues studied what people actually

do when they affiliate in 3 types of situations
 Groups facilitate both “fight-or-
Stress and Affiliation flight” and “tend-and-befriend”
responses to stress.
 Types of Social
Stress and Affiliation
Support

Form of Definition
Support
Belong Groups let members know that they are valued and let them
that they are not alone in facing their problems
Emotional Group members express caring, concern, and affection for
support one another; they minimize self-doubt, and vulnerability
and increase esteem, resilience, and self-satisfaction
Informational Groups provide members with useful information for
support solving problems, making decisions, and setting their goals
Instrumental Groups offer tangible assistance, as when one member
support helps another with assigned tasks, loans money, etc.
Meaning Groups provide members with existential, or spiritual
support, by allaying existential anxiety, reconfirming
members’ world views, and sharing faith and perspectives
 Types of Social
Stress and Affiliation
Support

Belonging

Emotional support

Informational support

Instrumental support

Meaning
Social Comparison and Directional
the Self
Comparison

Downward Self-evaluation
Upward Social
Social Maintenance
Comparison
Comparison (SEM)
• Choosing • Choosing • People prefer
comparison comparison to associate
targets who targets who with indivi-
are perform- are perform- duals who do
ing poorly ing poorly not outper-
compared to compared to form them in
oneself oneself areas that are
very relevant
• Boosts self- • Increases to their self-
esteem optimism, esteem
elevates goals
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Personality Social Comparison Principles of

Attraction

Men and Women Newcomb (1960) offered 17 The Economics of

Stress and Affiliation
young men starting their studiesMembership
Social Motivation at the University of Michigan
freeComparison
Social rent if they
andanswered a
Anxiety and Attachment detailed survey of their attitudes,
the Self
likes, and dislikes each week.
Attitudes, Experiences, Then he watched as the 17
Expectations students sorted themselves out
into friendship pairs and distinct
groups
Newcomb identified a small
number of principles that explain
when liking is more likely.
 Principles of
Attraction

Proximity Elaboration Similarity

• People tend • Groups often • People like

to like those emerge when others who
who are additional are similar to
situated elements them in some
nearby, in (people) way. In
part because become consequence,
it increases linked to the most groups
familiarity original tend toward
and members. increasing
interaction levels of
homophily.
 Principles of
Attraction

Frequent online interactions A network view of relational

increase attraction. elaboration
 Principles of
Attraction

Complementarity Reciprocity Minimax

• People like others • Liking tends to be • Individuals are

whose qualities mutual attracted to groups
complement their that offer them
own qualities maximum rewards
and minimal costs.

Schutz identified two key forms of compatibility:

interchange compatibility (based on similarity) and
originator compatibility (based on complementarity).
The Economics of
Membership

Satisfaction is determined by comparison level (CL)

Value of other groups determines comparison level for

alternatives (CLalt)
 Joining Groups Composition: Building the
Group

The effectiveness of a Group-level

group is determined by analysis
its composition: who is (“configural”):
in the group. Certain
 Each member adds a combinations of
set of unique people, given their
personal experiences, personal
interests, skills, motivations, are
abilities, and more effective than
motivations others
Group Dynamics 7e pp. 352-7
 Joining Groups Diversity: Heterogeneity of the
group

Surface and Deep Diversity ❖ Flexibility, broader

range of KSAs
❖ Increased creativity,
less traditional
solutions and outlooks
❖ Lower cohesion
❖ Increase subgrouping
along “faultlines”
❖ Communication issues,
misunderstanding

Group Dynamics 7e Chapter11

 Group Formation Building the Group

Creating Groups: How Group-level

should “learning analysis
groups” be created? (“configural”):
❑ Randomly? Certain
combinations of
❑ Students pick? people, given their
❑ Maximize diversity? personal
motivations, are
❑ Similarity? more effective than
others
Group Dynamics 7e pp. 352-7
 Review
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Personality Social Comparison Principles of

Attraction

Men and Women

Stress and Affiliation The Economics of
Membership
Social Motivation
Social Comparison and
the Self
Anxiety and Attachment

Attitudes, Experiences,
Expectations