Chapter 19. Group Processes Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 19 Answers

INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.1

Fill in the blanks:

a) Groups satisfy our need for………………..and ……………………

Ans: Belongingness, security

b) ………………..directs our actions and ways of behavior in groups.

Ans: Norms

INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.2

1. State whether the following statements are True or False

i) Formal groups have properly organized structure. True/False

Ans: True 

ii) Cohesiveness creates disunity within the group. True/False

Ans: False

2. Fill in the blanks

………………and…………….are reasons for formation of groups.

Ans: Proximity, similarity

INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.3

1. What is it called when the performance of an individual member improves in the presence of others?

Ans: Social Facilitation

2. What happens when individual members in a group put in less effort in a collective task?

Ans: Social Loafing

3. Match the following

a) Highly cohesive group	i) Group polarization
b) When groups members take extreme decisions than when as an individual	ii) Groupthink
c) Risky shift effect	iii) James Stoner

Ans: a) ii b) i c) iii

INTEXT QUESTIONS 19.4

Fill in the blanks

1. ……….. theory says that leaders have special personality characteristics which make them a leader.

Ans: Trait 

2. ………… leaders are concerned about their subordinates’ welfare.

Ans: Transformational

3. …………. leader believes in collective work and participative decision making.

Ans: Democratic

4. A leader should possess …….. skill in order to build good rapport and cordial relation with their members.

Ans: Interpersonal

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. What are groups? Explain the basic features of groups.

Ans: Groups are people who have come together for a common agenda and purpose. Two people are often considered as a “dyad” rather than a “group.” A group consists of three or more people who interact and are interdependent.

Groups have the following salient features

• (i) Groups are governed by social norms. Norms are conventional or unwritten social practices, behaviours, thinking, outlook, etc that are widely accepted by society. These norms guide the members on how to behave and act in a group. For example, a sports team should wear team uniforms during the match/game and not wear any other casual clothes.
• (ii) Groups have common needs, motives and goals; moreover, the members in the group strongly depend on each other to achieve their desired outcome.
• (iii) The individuals constitute the group, interact and share ideas and thoughts.
• (iv) Group members have well-defined social roles- specific expected behavioural roles that they are supposed to perform and also to do well. For example, a teacher and a student in a class have different roles and are expected to act as per their roles assigned to them.
• (v) The people who constitute a group are interdependent on one another- the action or behaviour of one has an impact on the other.

2. Describe the factors and the stages in the formation of groups.

Ans: There are many conditions and factors which are conducive and lead to the formation

of groups. The three main factors are:

• (i) Groups are formed due to physical proximity. For example, residents of the same building or colony who often meet for morning walks constitute a group. The more people tend to meet each other, the more we come to know about one another and the more likelihood to form groups depending on similar interests and other likings.
• (ii) Groups are also formed due to similarity. People discover similar interests, share common ideas, opinions, values and other factors that tend to bond with one another based on their similarities and may come together as a group. For instance, a Book Club where the members are part of the group due to their shared interest in reading books. It is a relationship based on stability and balance.
• (iii) Having a common goal and objective could also be a reason for forming groups. A trade union is an example of an association of workers formed for the common interests and fulfilment of the common goals.

The stages of formation of groups are, 

• 1. Forming: This is the initial stage, and the group is characterised by uncertainty and a lack of a clearly defined structure. People are just getting to know one another and discovering the ideas and opinions of one another. 
• 2. Storming: In this stage, the members become more aware of one another’s weaknesses or habits. With growing familiarity, conflicts might arise due to disagreements, frustration or annoyance with each other. It is important to work through the conflicts and then develop well-structured and clearly defined goals of the group.
• 3. Norming: At this stage, norms are developed regarding the behaviour of its members and also the possibilities and expectations of each member. A group identity is formed, and a cordial relationship develops among the group members. The members are now more committed towards achieving the group’s goals.
• 4. Performing: Once the norming stage is completed, the group members work together towards the attainment of the targets of the group. The group becomes functional, and now it is time for performance. The group members are willing to cooperate and trust each other and are enthusiastic to adapt as per the needs of the overall group.
• 5. Adjourning: It is the final stage where the group, after achieving the target or goals for which it was set up, is dissolved. The existence of the group is no longer required as the purpose has been met.

3. Describe the different types of groups with examples.

Ans: The various groups can be broadly categorised as listed below:

• (i) Primary group: Primary group is a group in which the relationship is close, personal, and the members often have face-to-face interaction. Family is a perfect example of a primary group. 
• (ii) Secondary group: The secondary groups, in contrast, are those where the relationships are less personal, intimate and indirect in nature. Large groups, like political parties, clubs, and environmental movements, fall under secondary groups. Unlike the primary group, the members are not involved much in each other’s personal matters. 
• (iii) Formal Groups: In the formal groups, the members have clearly defined roles; communication flows through a channel, and a professional relationship exists among the members. A military unit is an example of a formal group where the communication follows a standard procedure or channel. 
• (iv) Informal Groups: Informal groups are loosely structured with no rigid rules or defined roles, and they are built on casual and friendly relations. These often get created spontaneously by people, mostly to fulfil their social needs. A group of random people who gather to play cards is an informal group.
• (v) In-groups: People tend to categorize themselves and others based on race, religion, class, caste, gender etc. The groups in which we belong are known as in-groups. We use words like ‘we’ for the  groups in which we belong
• (vi) Out-groups: We also categorize others based on their race, religion, class, caste, gender and based on other parameters. The groups in which we do not belong are termed as out-groups, and we use the term ‘they’ for the out-groups.

4. How can the presence of others influence our behavior and decision-making?

Ans: The presence of others has an important effect on our individual performance and in arriving at a concrete decision. Sometimes an individual’s performance in a group tends to differ when the individual performs the same task alone. The presence of others can improve the performance, and at other times it may also decrease an individual’s performance.

• Social Facilitation: When an individual’s performance is improved by the presence of others, rather than when they are alone, this is called Social Facilitation.
• Social Loafing: In social loafing, the influence of others leads to a decrease in the performance of an individual when performing an activity as part of a larger group than when performing alone.
• Groupthink: Groupthink is a phenomenon which occurs in a group. Here, the group members think that unity and harmonious relations of the group members are more important than taking correct decisions and rational judgments. Therefore, the group members try to maintain the balance of the group by avoiding disagreement and conflict over logical arguments and reasoning.
• Group Polarisation: Group polarization is the tendency of groups to take extreme actions or decisions rather than the initial actions or decisions of the individual members.

5. Explain the nature of leadership. Give the characteristics of an effective leader.

Ans: Leadership is defined as the process by which the leader influences and directs the followers towards the goal of the group. The characteristics of an effective leader include, 

•  Effective leaders work hard towards the achievement of goals
•  Effective leaders are driven by a desire to excel.
•  Have good communication skills.
•  Effective leaders are self- confident and are assertive.
•  Effective leaders are open to new ideas, experiences and can be flexible.
•  Such leaders have high personal integrity and maturity.
•  They have good interpersonal skills.
•  They are considerate and can listen.

6. What is the relationship between personality traits and leadership abilities according to early leadership theories and current research findings?

Ans: Leadership should be understood from the amalgamation of both personality traits and situational context. Seeing leadership from a single point of view would lead to an inadequate understanding of the true essence of a leader. The type of leadership varies depending on the kind of work, situation or circumstances. For example, in a social welfare organisation, a relationship-oriented leader would be more effective, while for a private company, a task-oriented leader would be more successful.

7. What are the reasons for group polarization and what is the phenomenon of risky shift effect in group decision making?

Ans: Stoner studied the risk- taking decisions of groups and individuals and found that groups take much more risky decisions than individuals. This shift from the safer course of action when acting as an individual to a risky course when in a group is known as a risky shift.

Reasons for group polarisation are, 

• We usually want to be accepted and liked by others in a group. Therefore, there is a tendency to adopt the beliefs, ideas and attitudes to fit in the group. Individuals may favour a similar opinion of the group but may develop an extreme form. If people wish to be liked by members of a certain group, they generally take up the attitudes and actions consistent with the group so that they would be accepted more favourably by the members and the leader.
• If the majority of the group members strongly support an attitude or an action, the other in-group members who do not have a strong individual stand are likely to develop and strengthen their position in alignment with the position of the majority within the group.

8. How different groups differ from one another in terms of characteristics and relationships among members?

Ans: 

• Status: Members of a group occupy different positions or ranks within the group. Basically, it is the hierarchies in the group that define a member’s position in the group. For example, a cricket team has a captain, a vice-captain, senior players, and junior players.
• Roles: The members in the group do not perform the same functions and are expected to play different important roles and complete the task as per their role. Sometimes the roles are assigned, and at other times the roles are acquired. For example, in a football team there are goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, forwards and strikers.
• Norms: Standard and accepted rules which govern the behavioural conduct within a group that might not be written but are considered the appropriate way to follow. For instance, the expected manner in which the students should behave in the class is to be attentive, maintain silence and so on.
• Cohesiveness: The force that binds members in a group, like a feeling of oneness, togetherness, belongingness and many other factors. The out-group is seen as something different, and the presence of the out-group is seen as a competitive threat, which consequently leads to the increased bonding of the members in their own groups.

9. What are the main features and characteristics of groups, and how do they differ from collections of individuals?

Ans: Groups have the following salient features

• (i) Groups are governed by social norms. Norms are conventional or unwritten social practices, behaviours, thinking, outlook, etc that are widely accepted by society. These norms guide the members on how to behave and act in a group. For example, a sports team should wear team uniforms during the match/game and not wear any other casual clothes.
• (ii) Groups have common needs, motives and goals; moreover, the members in the group strongly depend on each other to achieve their desired outcome.
• (iii) The individuals constitute the group, interact and share ideas and thoughts;
• (iv) Group members have well-defined social roles- specific expected behavioural roles that they are supposed to perform and also to do it well. For example, a teacher and a student in a class have different roles and are expected to act as per their roles assigned to them.
• (v) The people who constitute a group are interdependent on one another- the action or behaviour of one has an impact on the other.

Thus, groups are organised collections of individuals who have come together for a common motive, purpose and goals, guided by social norms and expected to behave as per role expectations.

10. What are the five stages of group development proposed by Bruce Tuckman, and how does each stage play a role in building a high-functioning teams?

Ans: In 1965, a psychologist by the name Bruce Tuckman proposed five stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Each stage plays a vital role in building a high-functioning team. These five stages are as follows:

• 1. Forming: This is the initial stage, and the group is characterised by uncertainty and a lack of a clearly defined structure. People are just getting to know one another and discovering the ideas and opinions of one another. It is the period of relationship development. Orientation day at a new job is an example of a group-forming stage.
• 2. Storming: In this stage, the members become more aware of one another’s weaknesses or habits. With growing familiarity, conflicts might arise due to disagreements, frustration or annoyance with each other. The reasons for the conflicts could be differences in what the group’s goals are, how to achieve them, who will lead the group, where to get the resources, division of work or responsibilities and expectations from the task or job at hand. It is important to work through the conflicts and then develop well-structured and clearly defined goals of the group.
• 3. Norming: At this stage, norms are developed regarding the behaviour of its members and also the possibilities and expectations of each member. A group identity is formed, and a cordial relationship develops among the group members. For example, in a dance troupe, the members began to identify themselves not only as individual dancers, but as a group of dancers. Therefore, they begin to understand the need to perform their respective roles and cooperate more with the fellow troupe members to get the perfect combination and rhythm. The members are now more committed towards achieving the group’s goals.
• 4. Performing: Once the norming stage is completed, the group members work towards the attainment of the targets of the group. The group becomes functional, and now it is time for performance. The group members are willing to cooperate and trust each other and are enthusiastic to adapt as per the needs of the overall group.
• 5. Adjourning: It is the final stage where the group, after achieving the target or goals for which it was set up, is dissolved. The existence of the group is no longer required as the purpose has been met.

Additional Study Materials

• NIOS Class 12 Psychology Syllabus Bifurcation
• NIOS Class 12 Sample Question Paper
• Diversity and Individual Variations
• Self and Personality
• Intelligence