Chapter – 7

Social Influence and Group Processes

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 12 Psychology Chapter 7 (Social Influence and Group Processes) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 12 board exams.

Chapter 7: Social Influence and Group Processes

Introduction

• We are all part of various groups in our daily lives, such as our family, our class at school, and our friends.  
• These groups provide us with support, comfort, and help us learn and grow as individuals.  
• The types of groups we belong to can shape who we are.  
• It’s important to be part of groups that have a positive impact on us and help us become good citizens.  

What is a Group?

• A group is not just any collection of people. It’s an organized system of two or more individuals who interact with each other and depend on each other.  
• Characteristics of a group:
  • Belonging: Members feel like they are part of the group.  
  • Shared Goals: Members have common aims and work together towards them.  
  • Interdependence: What one member does affects the other members.  
  • Interaction: Members communicate with each other, either directly or indirectly.  
  • Roles and Norms: Members have specific roles within the group, and there are rules (norms) about how members should behave.  

Why Do People Join Groups?

• People join groups because groups fulfill a variety of needs.  
• Reasons for joining groups:
  • Security: Being in a group makes people feel safer and less vulnerable.  
  • Status: Membership in a group that others see as important can boost one’s social standing.  
  • Self-esteem: Groups contribute to feelings of self-worth and create a sense of belonging.  
  • Psychological and Social Needs: Groups fulfill needs for attention, love, and a sense of belonging.  
  • Goal Achievement: Groups can achieve goals that individuals cannot accomplish alone.  
  • Knowledge and Information: Groups offer opportunities to learn from others and expand one’s knowledge.  

Group Formation

• Groups don’t form instantly; they develop over time through contact and interaction between people.  
• Conditions that help groups form:
  • Proximity: Being physically close to others facilitates interaction and group formation.  
  • Similarity: People are drawn to those who share similar interests, values, and backgrounds.  
  • Common Motives and Goals: When people have shared goals, they come together to form groups to achieve those goals.  

Stages of Group Formation

• Tuckman’s Stage Model: This model describes the typical stages groups go through:
  • Forming: The initial stage where members get to know each other and there’s a sense of excitement and uncertainty.  
  • Storming: A stage of conflict where members may disagree on how to achieve goals and who should be in charge.  
  • Norming: The stage where the group establishes rules (norms) for behaviour, and a sense of group identity emerges.  
  • Performing: The stage where the group works together to achieve its goals.  
  • Adjourning: The final stage where the group disbands after achieving its goals.  

Group Structure

• Roles: These are the specific behaviours expected of individuals within the group. For example, the role of a leader or a follower.  
• Norms: These are the unwritten rules that guide how group members should behave. They help maintain order and expectations within the group.  
• Status: This refers to the social position or rank of individuals within the group. Some members may have higher status than others.  
• Cohesiveness: This is the degree to which group members are attracted to each other and feel united. Cohesive groups have strong bonds and a sense of “we-ness.”  

Types of Groups

• Primary and Secondary Groups:

  • Primary groups are small, long-lasting groups with close, personal relationships, like families.  
  • Secondary groups are larger, more impersonal groups formed for specific purposes, like work teams or school classes.  

• Formal and Informal Groups:

  • Formal groups have clearly defined structures, roles, and goals, like a company or a government agency.  
  • Informal groups are more flexible and spontaneous, with less rigid structures, like a group of friends.  

• Ingroup and Outgroup:

  • Ingroup refers to the group a person belongs to and identifies with.  
  • Outgroup refers to any group a person doesn’t belong to or identify with. People often show favouritism towards their ingroup and bias against outgroups.  

Influence of Group on Individual Behaviour

• Social Facilitation: The presence of others can improve individual performance on tasks that are well-learned or easy.  
• Social Loafing: When individuals work as part of a group, they may put in less effort than when working alone. This can happen when individual contributions are not easily identifiable.  
• Group Polarization: Group discussions can lead to more extreme decisions than individuals would make on their own. This is because discussions can reinforce and strengthen initial opinions.  

Key Terms

• Cohesiveness: The feeling of togetherness and attraction among group members. Cohesive groups have a strong sense of belonging and members want to stay in the group.  
• Conflict: Disagreement or tension between individuals or groups. Conflict can occur within a group (intragroup conflict) or between groups (intergroup conflict).  
• Goal achievement: The successful completion of a task or objective by a group. Groups can often achieve goals that individuals cannot achieve alone.  
• Group: An organized system of two or more individuals who interact and are interdependent, with shared motives, roles, and norms.  
• Group formation: The process by which groups are formed. This process can be influenced by factors such as proximity, similarity, and common goals.  
• Groupthink: A phenomenon that occurs in highly cohesive groups where the desire for harmony overrides critical thinking, leading to poor decisions.  
• Identity: The sense of who one is, which can be influenced by group membership.  
• Ingroup: The group to which an individual belongs.  
• Interdependence: The state of being mutually reliant on one another. In a group, the actions of one member can affect the other members.  
• Norms: The unwritten rules and expectations that guide behaviour within a group.  
• Proximity: Physical closeness or distance between individuals. Proximity can influence group formation and interaction.  
• Roles: The specific behaviours expected of individuals in a given position within a group.  
• Social influence: The process by which individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are affected by others.  
• Social loafing: The tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.  
• Status: The relative social position or rank given to individuals within a group.  
• Structure: The organization of a group, including its roles, norms, and status hierarchy.

Summary

• Groups are different from other collections of people because they have interdependence, roles, and norms.  
• People join groups for various reasons, including security, status, and belonging.  
• Groups can be classified into different types based on their characteristics.  
• Groups can influence individual behaviour in both positive and negative ways.

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