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In the social sciences, a social group is defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. [1] [2] Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. For example, a society can be viewed as a large social group.
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 ...
More simply, as explained by Thompson and Hickey (2005), such groups are ones "that people refer to when evaluating their [own] qualities, circumstances, attitudes, values and behaviors." [9] Reference groups are used in order to evaluate and determine the nature of a given individual or other group's characteristics and sociological attributes.
Social capital is a concept used in sociology and economics to define networks of relationships which are productive towards advancing the goals of individuals and groups. [1] [2] It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interpersonal relationships, a shared sense of identity, a shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, cooperation, and reciprocity.
Size (the number of people involved) is an important characteristic of the groups, organizations, and communities in which social behavior occurs. [1]When only a few persons are interacting, adding just one more individual may make a big difference in how they relate.
Lewin coined the term group dynamics to describe how individuals and groups behave differently depending on their environmental context. [75] In terms of intergroup relations, he applied his formula of B = ƒ(P, E) - behavior is a function of the person and their environment
There are three processes of attitude change as defined by Harvard psychologist Herbert Kelman in a 1958 paper published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution. [1] The purpose of defining these processes was to help determine the effects of social influence: for example, to separate public conformity (behavior) from private acceptance (personal belief).
A common conceptualization of the small group drawn from the social work literature is as a social system consisting of two or more persons who stand in status and role relationships with one another and possessing a set of norms or values which regulate the attitudes and behaviors of the individual members in matters of consequence to the group.