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Full-Text Articles in Social Psychology
Group Processes, Donelson R. Forsyth, Jeni Burnette
Group Processes, Donelson R. Forsyth, Jeni Burnette
Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications
Social behavior is often group behavior. People are in many respects individuals seeking their personal, private objectives, yet they are also members of social collectives that bind members to one another. The tendency to join with others is perhaps the most important single characteristic of humans. The processes that take place within these groups influence, in fundamental ways, their members and society-at-large. Just as the dynamic processes that occur in groups--such as the exchange of information among members, leading and following, pressures put on members to adhere to the group's standards, shifts in friendship alliances, and conflict and collaboration-change the …
Group Dynamics, Donelson R. Forsyth
Group Dynamics, Donelson R. Forsyth
Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications
Group dynamics are the influential actions, processes and changes that take place in groups. Much of the world's work is accomplished by people working with others in groups, and the processes that take place within these groups--the continual vying for social status, the give-and-take collaboration between members, the pressure of the group on the atypical individual, and the eruption of conflict and discord that can shatter the group--significantly shape members' experiences as well as their accomplishments. It was the eminent social scientist Kurt Lewin (1951) who used the term 'group dynamics' to describe the powerful and complex social processes that …