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A social group exhibits some degree of social cohesion and is more than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such as people waiting at a bus stop, or people waiting in a line. Characteristics shared by members of a group may include interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship ties.
Reference groups provide the benchmarks and contrast needed for comparison and evaluation of group and personal characteristics. Robert K. Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. [10] [11]
Group cohesiveness, also called group cohesion, social harmony or social cohesion, is the degree or strength of bonds linking members of a social group to one another and to the group as a whole. [1] Although cohesion is a multi-faceted process, it can be broken down into four main components: social relations , task relations, perceived unity ...
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 3 December 2024. Connected group of individuals For other uses, see Society (disambiguation). Clockwise from top left: A family in Savannakhet, Laos ; a crowd shopping in Maharashtra, India; a military parade on a Spanish national holiday. A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social ...
Finally, certain characteristics of a group such as its structure or level of homogeneity, can serve as cues for perceptions of entitativity. [17]: 224 These group features, without any need for comparison to another group, can influence how entitative a group appears to observers. [33]
Group dynamics is a system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group (intragroup dynamics), or between social groups (intergroup dynamics). The study of group dynamics can be useful in understanding decision-making behaviour, tracking the spread of diseases in society, creating effective therapy techniques, and ...
As a group gets larger, adding another person has less effect on its characteristics. A consideration at least in smaller groups, though, is whether the number of members is even or odd. Doing things together is easy if all those involved agree on what to do, or if majority opinion is able to override objections without repelling the objectors.
High group cohesiveness: Cohesiveness is the main factor that leads to groupthink. Groups that lack cohesiveness can of course make bad decisions, but they do not experience groupthink. In a cohesive group, members avoid speaking out against decisions, avoid arguing with others, and work towards maintaining friendly relationships in the group.