Post on 04-Jan-2016
ABC of Group
Psychology
Turid Suzanne Berg-Nielsen, PhDAssociate Professor, Department of Psychology
NTNU,
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
EiT’s goals for learning
• Understanding of ones own competencies and how these may contribute to a group
• Ability to cooperate in solving interdisciplinary tasks
• Awareness of ones behavior and how it affects a group
• Awareness of how ones behavior is affected by a group
What is a group?
1. Two or more individuals who are interacting
2. and depend on each other
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Group cohesion
• a common ”we”• some fundamental common
interests or goals• a minimum of mutual trust
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Any well functioning group may contribute to increased
selfunderstanding and thus facilitate psychological maturity
only by the willingess of its members to mutually expose
themselves and feedback each other’s interactions
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
How to assemble a group?
Heterogeneous groups
• need some time• participants may
represent a corrective to each other
Homogenous groups
• facilitate mutual identification
• more cohesion• less conflict• more supportive
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
characteristic group decisions
homogenous groups
may develop more
extreme positions and attitudes than each individual
individuals may hold back their objections so not to threaten cohesion
a lack of inner corrective may lead to erroneous decisions
heterogeneous groups
as a compromise groups may become more careful in their statements than each individual
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Characteristic, but unfortunate group behavior
• Passivity (the bystander-effect)• ”social loafing” = reduced
effectivity because individual contributions apparently doesn’t matter
• Dilution of responsibility
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Other forms of characteristic group
behavior (– or immature ways of handling
insecurity) •dependency•fight/flight •pairing•projection
(Wilfred Bion, 1961)
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Resistance in groups
• silence• withdrawal• absence• preoccupation
with others to avoid exposure of oneself
• monopolize• defocusing• preoccupation with
irrelevant matters • blind competition • subgroups• finding scapegoats
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
What may impede productivity in a group?
• Lack of open communication between group members
• ”social loafing”• Suppressed disagreement
among group members• Lack of will to compromise
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Persons who do not function well in groups
• intense rivalry • acting out• controlling • social anxiety • very low self esteem
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
What to do when progress in a group comes to a halt?
• Start with here and now!• Talk about how the group is
functioning together• How group members are interacting• What can be changed and how• Everybody should say something
Developmental stages in groups
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Orientation stage
• dependency on leader• the group members are typically are
hesitant, fence-sitting & careful • preoccupied with rules, goals and
purpose of the group• ok with breaking the ice activities
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Disagreement stage
• less preoccupied with getting acceptance from others
• irritation with others• rivalry & issues of dominance• discontent with facililtator
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Cohesive stage
• consensus on norms for the group• increased security and confidence• more personal exposure• more spontaneous support and
mutual encouragement• authority conflicts resolved• more self-reflection, openness and
willingness to dwell on and feedback each other about interpersonal functioning
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Tuckmans (1965/77) 5 developmental group
stages• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing• Adjourning
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Conflict management (Chiriac & Hempel, 2005)
• What is the problem?
• Why has it become a problem?
• For whom is it a problem?
• Possible solutions?
• When to ask for external help?
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
Prerequisites for successfull conflict management
• Change of attitude towards increased empathy among participants involved in the conflict
• Courage to cut through when conflict is
persistent, destructive and unreasonably time-consuming
TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU
What can you learn from a group?
• Mutuality• Universality• Togetherness• Openness• Model-learning• Give and receive feedback • Self-acceptance through support of others • Awareness of own behavior and how it affects
others• Awareness og how a group affects own
behavior