Social Psychology of Groups

By: Carly Le Blanc
11/22/07

In my Social Psychology course we have been discussing a text on group behavior. It has brought up some stark differences between our modern social interactions and those we have learned about in primal cultures. The book discusses concepts such as social loafing and apprehension we experience while performing in groups. Social loafing is a concept that involves a person who works less hard as part of a group than he would alone. How much effort one puts into a group project depends on their perception of how important their contribution is and the value judgment they place on the outcome. The reading emphasized that living in households with more people per room were more likely to experience psychological distress. It stated that there was no evidence that said some cultures were better able to tolerate high-density living spaces. How can that be true when several Motilones hung from hammocks near the ceiling? All of these tribal people live in extremely close quarters to one another. Perhaps in applying the other model, it is because the Motilones realize their contribution is importance and the outcome is survival--obviously significant. The text also discusses the concept of cohesiveness; forces that cause members to remain in a group. Two motivations she describes for group membership is the harmony of their work together and the instrumental goals of the group. Their goal is survival and thus they are forced to worked together. I am studying psychology and for the MAT program so I often try to understand primal cultures through sociological or pedagogical theory. This is often difficult as we are entangled in complex abstract webs of interaction that are not present primal societies.