abc of group psychology turid suzanne berg-nielsen, phd associate professor, department of...

ABC of Group

Psychology

Turid Suzanne Berg-Nielsen, PhDAssociate Professor, Department of Psychology

NTNU,

TS Berg-Nielsen, 21/2-07, NTNU

EiT’s goals for learning

• Understanding of ones own competencies and how these may contribute to a group

• Ability to cooperate in solving interdisciplinary tasks

• Awareness of ones behavior and how it affects a group

• Awareness of how ones behavior is affected by a group

What is a group?

1. Two or more individuals who are interacting

2. and depend on each other


Group cohesion

• a common ”we”• some fundamental common

interests or goals• a minimum of mutual trust


Any well functioning group may contribute to increased

selfunderstanding and thus facilitate psychological maturity

only by the willingess of its members to mutually expose

themselves and feedback each other’s interactions


How to assemble a group?

Heterogeneous groups

• need some time• participants may

represent a corrective to each other

Homogenous groups

• facilitate mutual identification

• more cohesion• less conflict• more supportive


characteristic group decisions

homogenous groups

may develop more

extreme positions and attitudes than each individual

individuals may hold back their objections so not to threaten cohesion

a lack of inner corrective may lead to erroneous decisions

heterogeneous groups

as a compromise groups may become more careful in their statements than each individual


Characteristic, but unfortunate group behavior

• Passivity (the bystander-effect)• ”social loafing” = reduced

effectivity because individual contributions apparently doesn’t matter

• Dilution of responsibility


Other forms of characteristic group

behavior (– or immature ways of handling

insecurity) •dependency•fight/flight •pairing•projection

(Wilfred Bion, 1961)


Resistance in groups

• silence• withdrawal• absence• preoccupation

with others to avoid exposure of oneself

• monopolize• defocusing• preoccupation with

irrelevant matters • blind competition • subgroups• finding scapegoats


What may impede productivity in a group?

• Lack of open communication between group members

• ”social loafing”• Suppressed disagreement

among group members• Lack of will to compromise


Persons who do not function well in groups

• intense rivalry • acting out• controlling • social anxiety • very low self esteem


What to do when progress in a group comes to a halt?

• Start with here and now!• Talk about how the group is

functioning together• How group members are interacting• What can be changed and how• Everybody should say something

Developmental stages in groups


Orientation stage

• dependency on leader• the group members are typically are

hesitant, fence-sitting & careful • preoccupied with rules, goals and

purpose of the group• ok with breaking the ice activities


Disagreement stage

• less preoccupied with getting acceptance from others

• irritation with others• rivalry & issues of dominance• discontent with facililtator


Cohesive stage

• consensus on norms for the group• increased security and confidence• more personal exposure• more spontaneous support and

mutual encouragement• authority conflicts resolved• more self-reflection, openness and

willingness to dwell on and feedback each other about interpersonal functioning


Tuckmans (1965/77) 5 developmental group

stages• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing• Adjourning


Conflict management (Chiriac & Hempel, 2005)

• What is the problem?

• Why has it become a problem?

• For whom is it a problem?

• Possible solutions?

• When to ask for external help?


Prerequisites for successfull conflict management

• Change of attitude towards increased empathy among participants involved in the conflict

• Courage to cut through when conflict is

persistent, destructive and unreasonably time-consuming


What can you learn from a group?

• Mutuality• Universality• Togetherness• Openness• Model-learning• Give and receive feedback • Self-acceptance through support of others • Awareness of own behavior and how it affects

others• Awareness og how a group affects own

behavior

abc of group psychology turid suzanne berg-nielsen, phd associate professor, department of...

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