The topic involving small group communication that I have picked and will analyze is group polarization stemming from choice shifts. In an article called Choice Shift and Group Polarization by Noah E. Friedkin, choice shift is “said to occur when, after a group’s interaction on an issue, the mean final opinion of group members differs from the members’ mean initial opinion.” (857) This means that members of a group each have an individual opinion about a topic, thing, person, decision, etc. There is a general feeling about that certain topic and a choice shift occurs when the group decision in the end is different from what the general feelings of each individual’s opinion originally was. Thus, individuals and ultimately the group choice changed or shifted. Though distinct, through the articles I have analyzed it seems as though group polarization goes hand-in-hand with choice shifts. Group polarization …show more content…
Before discussing with each other our living plans, most of us had a mean individual preference to live with each other. As we discussed it further, we realized that coop would get in the way and everyone would be split up and each person had different ideas on how far away from campus they wanted to live and how much they were willing to pay. After our group had a discussion, a choice shift occurred as the mean group preference was to not live together anymore, different than the original mean individual preference. Our group framed the situation negatively, therefore taking more risk and splitting up. In other words, we viewed our losses as how far the distance was and how much each person was willing to pay overruling living together, thus taking the risk to split up. The more we talked about our plans for the next year and what each of us wanted, the more our group polarized and our feelings about splitting up
Turman, P. (October 13, 2000b). Group Decision Making & Problem Solving: Group Communication [Lecture] Cedar Falls, IA. University of Northern Iowa, Communication Studies Department.
From the Velasquez excerpt he explains Janis definition of Group think which refers to the susceptibility of groups of people to get increasingly out of touch with reality (Janis 84). Velasquez believes the main cause of groupthink is socials pressures within the group due to the group wanting to get along and keep harmony (Janis 84). When a group really wants to have a good standing relationship with each other they could possibly just agree on something to not upset the others, or to make them not like them for their beliefs and not agreeing resulting in them not evaluating the situation. This negatively affects ones decision making outcome. Groupthink as any other problem has symptoms and we will go over each of these.
There are eight categories of verbal communication that are classified under the system of Group Development Observation System (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). The Group Development Observation System was developed to categorize verbal interactions within a group (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). The eight categories that can be used for classification are dependency statements, counterdependency statements, fight statements, flight statements, pairing statements, counterpairing statements, work statements, and unscorable statements (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). Dependency statements identify the dominant group mood (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). They also solicit direction (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). Counterdependency statements identify independence amongst
Group behaviors consist of things like group polarization which is where a group of of people will be separated from others groups and led in group discussion leading to more extreme views hence the like minded people of the group. Ingroup Bias is a good example due to you thinking that your group is better then any other creating competition and tension because of your personal bias
Have you ever agreed to something in a group you would never agree to alone? First off, let us say that you enjoy soccer and participate on a team. Someone in a group one day states that soccer is “gay,” or not as good as another sport such as football. If you were to look around, many people would begin to agree, and eventually so would you. Why? As shown through the character versus character conflicts in the book, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, the reasoning and ideals of a group are much easier to manipulate than that of an individual.
Groupthink theory is the psychological phenomenon in which groups working on a task think along the same lines, which could have drastic consequences. This results from group polarization where discussions are enhanced or exaggerate the initial leanings of the group’s decision. Therefore, if a group leans towards a risky situation at the beginning on average they will move toward an even riskier position later. (Marks, 2015). The concept that everyone thinks the same question is anyone really thinking. These drastic consequences come from individuals trying to avoid conflict with one another and being highly cohesive give way to questionable decision making (Oliver, 2013). This theory seems to new concept, Houghton Mifflin publication of Victims
Miller, C. E. Group Decision Making Under Majority and Unanimity Decision Rules. Social Psychology Quarterly, 48, 51-61.
On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties?
There are eight symptoms of groupthink. The first symptom is when all or most of the group view themselves as invincible which causes them to make decisions that may be risky. The group has an enormous amount of confidence and authority in their decisions as well as in themselves. They see themselves collectively better in all ways than any other group and they believe the event will go well not because of what it is, but because they are involved. The second symptom is the belief of the group that they are moral and upstanding, which leads the group to ignore the ethical or moral consequences of the decisions. The group engages in a total overestimation of its morality. There is never any question that the group is not doing the right thing, they just act. The disregarding of information or warnings that may lead to changes in past policy is the third symptom. Even if there is considerable evidence against their standpoint, they see no problems with their plan. Stereotyping of enemy leaders or others as weak or stupid is the fourth symptom. This symptom leads to close-mindedness to other individuals and their opinions. The fifth symptom is the self-censorship of an individual causing him to overlook his doubts. A group member basically keeps his mouth shut so the group can continue in harmony. Symptom number six refers to the illusion of unanimity; going along with the majority, and the assumption that silence signifies consent. Sometimes a group member who questions the rightness of the goals is pressured by others into concurring or agreeing, this is symptom number seven. The last symptom is the members that set themselves up as a buffer to protect the group from adverse information that may destroy their shared contentment regarding the group’s ...
Define and discuss group polarization, groupthink, and social influence? How might these processes affect jury deliberations (e.g., jury decision making)?
To remind people in an organization why they belong takes continued focus on a common goal or common belief. By having one main function, a group is generally more effective than if everyone has different ideas and outlooks on specific topics. However, to keep everyone on the same page, the members of a group need to accurately know where they stand in reference to their goal. One way to do this is through social facilitation. This is the concern of self image through the presence of other people. It's a concept that allows members to know the acceptable opinions of the group. Someone who agrees to the ideas set out from the organization. "Group polarization is the concept of changing personal opinions to extremities after a group discussion.(Johnson 13)" This concept eliminates members who aren't sure what they think of the group's purpose. They decide that either they agree completely or they disagree completely. Either way it means they decide if they are in or out after the group discussion. A common goal is one way to distinguish and separate the devoted members from the questionable individuals in a group.
According to one of rational choice theory’s prominent and more thoughtful contemporary exponents, Peter C. Ordeshook, “four books mark the beginning of modern political theory: Anthony Downs’s An Economic Theory of Democracy (1957), Duncan Black’s Theory of Committees and Elections (1958), William H. Riker’s A Theory of Political Coalitions (1962), and James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock’s The Calculus of Consent (1962). These volumes, along with Kenneth Arrow’s Social Choice and Individual Values (1951), began such a wealth of research that political scientists today have difficulty digesting and synthesizing all but small parts of it. Consequently, the full value of this research often goes unrealized…” (Ordeshook 1986, ix)
Groupthink is the psychological phenomenon in which groups working on a task think along the same lines which could have drastic results. It is the result of group polarization where discussions are enhance or exaggerate the initial leanings of the group. Therefore, if a group leans towards risky situation at the beginning of the discussion on average they will move toward an even riskier position. (Marks, 2015). The idea when everyone think the same no one is really thinking. The drastic outcomes result from people trying to avoid conflict with one another, being highly cohesive, and results is questionable decision making (Oliver, 2013). Houghton Mifflin publication of Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions
Working in groups is challenging at times. Other times it is very rewarding. We are so focused on life that we do not take time to reflect on things as much as we should. Being in a Groups class has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I have begun to question, explore, and even understand how things work. I even get how they work sometimes. Not only is there a process involved in making individual decisions, process is involved in group decisions as well. This paper attempts give insight into my reflection of my group decision process.
Group dynamics can be defined as the interactions that influence the behavior and attitudes of individuals when they are in groups. This is very important in the areas of sociology, psychology, and communication studies.