Studying Groups_GroupDynamics_ppt_ch02.pptx.pdf

CHAPTER 2
STUDYING GROUPS
Forsyth, Group Dynamics, 7th Edition. © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or
duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Chapter 2 Outline
1. The Scientific Study of Groups
2. Measurement
3. Research Methods in Group Dynamics
4. Theoretical Perspectives

Learning Objectives (1 of 3)
• 2.1. Describe the development of the scientific approach to studying groups
and identify the key contributions of these individuals: Le Bon, Wundt,
Durkheim, Allport, and Lewin.
• 2.2. Illustrate the differences among an individual-level, group-level, and
multi-level analysis by examining Durkheim’s and Allport’s position on the
concept of collective conscious (or group mind), Sherif’s study of norms, and
Allport’s warning against the group fallacy.
• 2.3. Use Lewin’s B = f(P, E) formula of interactionism and Hackman’s
multilevel approach to explain both individual and group-level phenomena
(e.g., the performance of an orchestra).

• 2.4. Define and give examples of observational measures of groups,
including (a) participant, covert, overt, and structured observational methods;
(b) quantitative and qualitative measurement methods; and (c) structured
observational systems (e.g., Interaction Process Analysis, SYMLOG, and
social network analysis).
• 2.5. Compare and contrast the validity and reliability of a measure.
• 2.6. Explain the use of sociometry in the study of groups, being certain to
review the strengths and limitations of such self-report measures.
• 2.7. Describe the basic features and provide an example of each of the
following basic research designs: case study, correlational, and
experimental.

• 2.8. Summarize the methods used and results obtained in the following
classic studies of group dynamics: Whyte’s Street Corner Society, Janis’s
groupthink work, Newcomb’s Bennington study, and Lewin, Lippitt, and
White’s leadership experiments.
• 2.9. Debate the methodological (e.g., the relative strengths and weaknesses
of experimental and nonexperimental designs), statistical (e.g., the “unit of
analysis” and interdependence problems), and ethical (e.g., covert
observation) issues raised by research on human groups.
• 2.10. Summarize the basic assumptions of each of the following general
theoretical approaches to studying groups, and describe one theory that
illustrates each approach: motivation and emotion perspectives, behavioral
perspectives, systems perspectives, cognitive perspectives, and biological
perspectives.

1. The Scientific Study of Groups
1a. The Individual and the Group
• Levels of Analysis
• The Group Mind
• The Reality of Groups
• Lewin and Interactionism
1b.The Multilevel Perspective
What assumptions do researchers
make when studying groups and
their dynamics?

1a. The Individual and the Group (1 of 2)
• The field’s paradigm (Kuhn, 1970)
was shaped by early researchers
such as:

1a. The Individual and the Group (2 of 2)
• Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory:
• Groups can be greater than the sum of their parts.
• Interactionism: Actions, processes, and responses of people in groups
(“behavior”), B, are a function of both the (P) person and the (E)
environment or B = f (P, E)

1b. The Multilevel Perspective
• A multilevel perspective (e.g.,
Hackman’s analysis of orchestras)
considers micro-, meso-, and
macro-level factors when
investigating group dynamics.

2. Measurement
2a. Observation
• Overt and Covert Observation
• Participant Observation
• Reactivity and the Hawthorne
Effect
• Structuring Observations
• Reliability and Validity
2b. Self-Report
• Sociometry
• Social Network Analysis
• Reliability and Validity of
Self-report Measures
What assumptions do
researchers make when
studying groups and their
dynamics?

2a. Observation (1 of 3)
• William Foote White’s study of “corner boys” in Street Corner Society
• Types:
• Overt
• Covert
• Participant
• Qualitative
• Quantitative
• Structured

Issues:
• Hawthorne effect
• Reliability
• Validity
Example: The Nortons

Issues:
• Hawthorne effect
• Reliability
• Validity
Example: Bales’ Interaction
Process Analysis

2b. Self-Report (1 of 2)
Moreno’s Sociometry
• Neglected
• Rejected
• Popular
• Controversial
• Sociable
• Unsociable
• Cliques
• Couples
• Gatekeepers

2b. Self-Report (2 of 2)
Figure 2.4: Social Network Analysis

3. Research Methods in Group Dynamics (1 of
2)
3a. Case Studies
• Conducting a Case Study
• Advantages and
Disadvantages
3b. Correlational Studies
• Conducting Correlational
Studies
• Advantages and
Disadvantages
3c. Experimental Studies
• Conducting Experiments
• Advantages and Disadvantages
3d. Studying Groups: Issues and
Implications
• Selecting a Method
• Ethics of Group Research

3. Research Methods in Group Dynamics (2 of
2)
What are the key characteristics of and differences between case,
correlational, and experimental studies of group processes?
What are their strengths and weaknesses?

3a. Case Studies
• An in-depth analysis of one or
more groups:
• Key ingredients
• Strengths
• Limitations
Example:
Janis’s analysis of groupthink

3b. Correlational Studies
• Assessment of the strength of
relationships among variables:
• Key ingredients
• Strengths
• Limitations
• Called “correlational” studies
because the findings are often
expressed in the form of a
correlational coefficient.
Example: Newcomb’s
Bennington Study

3c. Experimental Studies
• Examination of the effect of a
manipulation
• Key ingredients
• Strengths
• Limitations
Example: Lewin, Lippitt, and
White’s study of leadership

3d. Studying Groups: Issues & Implications
• Case studies: Atypical of most groups, subjective, stimulate theory.
• Correlational studies: Limited information about causality but precise
estimates of the strength of relationships, less artificial, fewer ethical
concerns.
• Experiments: Too artificial, not “real” groups, but clearest test of cause and
effect.

4. Theoretical Perspectives
4a. Motivational Perspectives
4b. Behavioral Perspectives
4c. Systems Perspectives
4d. Cognitive Perspectives
4e. Biological Perspectives
4f. Selecting a Theoretical
Perspective
Which theoretical perspectives
guide researchers’ studies of
groups?

4a. Motivational Perspectives
• Analysis of wants, needs,
emotions, and other psychological
processes that energize behavior
and determine its form, intensity,
and duration.
Example: Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs theory

4b. Behavioral Perspectives
• Analysis of behavior, particularly its
acquisition and maintenance
through learning
Example: Social exchange theory

4c. Systems Perspectives
• Analysis of the dynamic adjustments
that occur between and among the
interdependent parts of the whole.
Example:
Input-process-output models

4d. Cognitive Perspectives
• Analysis of mental processes that
acquire, organized, and integrate
information
Example:
Group-reference effect

4e. Biological Perspectives
• Analysis of the physiological
processes that influence group
members.
Example: Biopsychosocial (BPS)
threat/challenge model

4f. Selecting a Theoretical Perspective
• Some researchers test hypotheses derived from only one theory.
• Others draw on several perspectives to describe, predict, control, and
explain groups and their members.
• No one solution answers the question “What theory explains group
behavior?”

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