Group Behavior

Definition of Group Behavior

First, let's examine what defines a group. Groups are formed for many different reasons and in many ways. They can be very powerful in that an individual may be able to accomplish more with a group than by oneself.

Group behavior is often guided by a set of rules or regulations that may not always be the case for every individual within that group.

Group Behavior and Group Identity

Once we identify with a group, we begin to categorize ourselves within an ingroup and others in an outgroup. The tendency is to form an "us vs them" mentality and view outgroups as homogeneous and favor our ingroup.

Fig. 1 On game nights, we tend to see our team as the ingroup and the other team as the outgroup, freepik.com

Four Aspects of Group Behavior

There are four aspects of a group’s behavior that may be present within a group.

1. Purpose and Mission: Individuals within the group share similar beliefs, values, or attitudes resulting in a unified mission or purpose. The group may then develop clear goals or a specific agenda.

2. Norms: The group has a clear standard of behavioral norms. These norms are used to evaluate group members. Behavioral norms may be clearly written as rules, or they may be informal. However, group members are always aware of what the behavior norms are.

3. Cohesion: How well the group can overcome conflict or other unpleasant experiences. If cohesion is low, the group may struggle to establish control over its members and enforce its behavior norms and rules.

4. Structure: Each group has a structure for status and authority. This may be hierarchical or more democratic. There is also a clear dynamic between the leader and the follower.

Types of Group Behavior

Communal labor, joining protests or a march, acting patriotically, and spectating are examples of social situations in which group behavior may occur.

Group Behavior: Communal Labor

Communal labor refers to a group that comes together to accomplish a specific task that benefits the group as a whole. This type of group behavior is usually constructive as cooperation is imperative for the group to accomplish its task. Members of groups that gather for communal labor often have common social interests, aspirations, feelings, and a particular topic.

Fig. 2 A community garden is an example of communal labor where Group Behavior can form, freepik.com

Joining a Protest or March

Another form of group behavior is when individuals join a protest or march. In this case, individuals come together to protest for or against a cause. A modern-day example of a protest or demonstration is the one that took place after the murder of George Floyd. Or the Women’s March that formed following the inauguration of former President Donald Trump.

Acting Patriotically

Groups that have been formed as a result of shared love and pride for their country are acting patriotically. The behavior of groups who have gathered for this purpose is often zealous and committed. Groups acting patriotically can be constructive but can also easily become destructive.

Group Behavior: Spectators

A spectator group behavior refers to gathering a group of people with the shared purpose to participate in or attend an event. Events may include a concert, movie, or sports game.

Culture as a Form of Group Behavior

Humans are social animals capable of learning and adapting their behaviors for survival. Cultures form as the result of this human trait. Through language, humans have been able to preserve innovation throughout history. Even though we differ across cultures, our capacity for culture is the same. Culture enables us to communicate, play, engage in commerce, and live.

As cultures compete for resources, they evolve over time. A Frenchman in the fourteenth century might not fully understand a Frenchman in the twenty-first century. While cultures evolve to survive, the change is not always positive. For example, although the federal government increased the loan amount a student could borrow for their post-secondary degree, it may have allowed colleges to raise their tuition costs. (Bundick & Pollard, 2019). Culture and cultural differences can greatly affect the behavior of groups and individuals within that group.

Fig. 3 Different cultures form their own Group Behavior, freepik.com

Group Behavior – Examples

Group behavior can occur in everyday situations. Here are some examples:

• Planning/executing cultural festival

• Organizing the clean up of a dirty street corner

• Setting up a community garden

• Black Lives Matter Protests

• March on Washington during the Civil Rights Movement

• Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

• January 6th United States Capitol Attack

Group Behavior in Psychology

Individual behavior differs from group behavior in the first may be influenced by several internal and external factors. Individual behavior may result from genes, mental health, environment, or self-perception.

When group behavior is observed in psychology, the focus is on how groups affect an individual's behavior, thinking, decision-making, or ideas. Psychologists also observe how groups behave as a whole and how groups interact with one another.

Group Polarization

The ways in which a group interacts with other groups and with one another is called group dynamics. Group polarization is when a group’s beliefs and inclinations are enhanced through group discussion, and decisions are more extreme than an individual’s initial inclination.

For example, a class discussion would make students whose prejudice is low become more accepting after discussing racial issues. However, students whose prejudice is high would become less accepting after discussing racial issues. In the real world, we see group polarization occur in politics. After a debate, political groups may become more polarized in their views.

Group polarization often intensifies the "us vs them" mentality. Group members may also behave in more extreme ways than while on their own. While increasing access through the internet can be a powerful tool in connecting people, it can also be a powerful tool in polarizing people's opinions. Conservatives can connect more with other conservative perspectives, and liberals can connect more with other liberal views.

Conformity

In 1955, Solomon Asch conducted an experiment to test conformity within a group.

In the experiment, he had a group of people answer a very easy question. However, each group had confederates, people who work for the researcher, who answered the question incorrectly. Then, Asch observed how often the subjects would give the wrong answer. This resulted in the Ash effect, which refers to how the group majority influences an individual's behavior and judgment.

Groupthink

When faced with a decision, groups may reach a consensus due to the desire for harmony. This phenomenon is called groupthink. This consensus, however, may not have been achieved through reason or evaluation.

Groupthink is often fed by overconfidence, conformity, group polarization, and self-justification. (Meyer et al., 2009). Throughout history, administrations in the United States have fallen victim to groupthink. For example, social psychologist Irvan Janis (1982) discovered that the Kennedy administration's decision to invade Cuba with Cuban exiles trained by the CIA was likely led by a collective desire to preserve the morale. Leaders opted to ignore their doubts to protect the harmony of the group.

Helping People

Individual behavior can be especially influenced by the presence of others when it comes to helping.

This phenomenon can often have negative effects where no one steps up to help because they believe someone else will be there to do it. Or, have you heard of the saying, “Scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours?” This reflects the reciprocity norm, the idea that individuals within a group expect others to help them if they help others.