 | Term | Definition |
| |
norms |
shared expectations about how the members of a group ought to behave |
| |
institutional norms |
norms that originate in a group's leader or external authorities |
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voluntary norms |
norms negotiated by a group, often to resolve conflict and promote smooth functioning |
| |
evolutionary norms |
norms originating in a member's response to a situation that is adopted as a norm by the group |
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informational pressure |
the pressure to conform because of uncertainty and a need for information |
| |
pluralistic ignorance |
occurs when group members mistakenly assume that others know what's going on; a backfiring of informational pressure |
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mass psychogenic illness |
the occurrence in a group of people of similar physical symptoms with no apparent physical cause |
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normative pressure |
the pressure to conform in order to be socially accepted and avoid rejection |
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social impact theory |
a theory stating that conformity depends on strength (how important the group of people is to you), immediacy (how close the group is to you in space and time), and number (how many people are in the group) |
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tight cultures |
cultures in which norms are clear and reliably imposed and deviance is punished through criticism and rejection |
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loose cultures |
cultures in which norms are less clear and deviance is tolerated |
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collectivistic cultures |
cultures that emphasize the importance of the group and community and that value conformity |
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individualistic cultures |
cultures that emphasize the importance of the individual, value independenc, and view conformity negatively |
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dissent |
to challenge group norms |
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minority influence |
the idea that a minority of group members can influence the majority |
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theory of idiosyncrasy credits |
a theory suggesting that to dissent effectively, you must first earn the right by paying conformity dues called idiosyncrasy credits |
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theory of innovation |
a theory suggesting that a strong, persistent minority can effectively sway the majority and cause true change |
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dual-process approach to minority influence |
the idea that majorities and minorities both exert influence on the group, but in different ways |
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Abilene paradox |
occurs when members are so motivated to get along that they all end up agreeing to something no one wants |
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socialization |
the process by which new group members learn the norms of the group |
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norms of cooperation |
norms encouraging members to support one another toward the achievement of the group's goals |
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norms of competition |
norms supportive of members' seeking personal goals at the expense of other members |
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production norms |
norms specifying how hard to work and how much to produce |
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roles |
the different positions in the group, each with its own set of norms |
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role expectations |
what we expect of members based on their role in the group |
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role differentiation |
the development of distinct roles in the group that occurs as group members take on different assignments |
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role ambiguity |
confusion about what our role is in the group or what is expected of us in our role |
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role conflict |
when the various demands of our role conflict (intrarole conflict) or when the demands of several roles we occupy conflict with one another (interrole conflict) |
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socioemotional roles |
roles centered on satisfying the emotional needs of group members by encouraging others, mediating conflicts, and providing warmth and praise |
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task roles |
roles focused on getting the job done, including providing information, focusing the discussion on tasks, and assigning work |
