SCC Group Dynamics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'groupthink' as described by Irving Janis?
- A phenomenon where group members prioritize harmony over critical evaluation (Correct answer)
- The tendency for groups to make riskier decisions than individuals
- A process by which minority views gradually convert the majority
- The division of tasks among specialized group members
Correct answer: A phenomenon where group members prioritize harmony over critical evaluation
Groupthink occurs when the desire for group cohesion and consensus overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives, often leading to poor decisions.
Question 2: Which concept describes the phenomenon where people exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone?
- Deindividuation
- Social loafing (Correct answer)
- Group polarization
- Diffusion of responsibility
Correct answer: Social loafing
Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to reduce effort on collective tasks because individual contributions are less identifiable.
Question 3: In Tuckman's model of group development, what stage follows 'storming'?
- Forming
- Norming (Correct answer)
- Performing
- Adjourning
Correct answer: Norming
After the conflict of the storming stage, groups move to norming, where members establish shared norms and cohesion begins to develop.
Question 4: A 'reference group' in sociology primarily serves what function?
- Providing formal authority over members
- Serving as a standard for self-evaluation and identity (Correct answer)
- Ensuring all members have equal status
- Enforcing legal norms within society
Correct answer: Serving as a standard for self-evaluation and identity
Reference groups are groups that individuals compare themselves to when evaluating their own attitudes, behaviors, and social standing.
Question 5: What does the term 'in-group' refer to in group dynamics?
- A group whose members hold formal leadership positions
- A group with which an individual identifies and feels belonging (Correct answer)
- A group that is larger than the surrounding community
- A group formed exclusively in workplace settings
Correct answer: A group with which an individual identifies and feels belonging
An in-group is a social group with which a person psychologically identifies and experiences a sense of 'we,' as opposed to an out-group.
Question 6: Which leadership style involves the leader making all decisions without input from group members?
- Laissez-faire
- Democratic
- Authoritarian (Correct answer)
- Transformational
Correct answer: Authoritarian
Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership centralizes decision-making in the leader, with little or no participation from followers.
Question 7: The 'risky shift' phenomenon in group decision-making suggests that groups tend to make decisions that are:
- More conservative than individual members' initial positions
- More extreme or risky than the average of individual pre-discussion views (Correct answer)
- Perfectly balanced between risk and caution
- Identical to the most senior member's preference
Correct answer: More extreme or risky than the average of individual pre-discussion views
The risky shift is one manifestation of group polarization, where group discussion moves members toward a riskier collective decision.
SCC Group Dynamics 2
What is 'groupthink' as described by Irving Janis?