Overview

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We are all members of a variety of groups. In a typical week, you may collaborate in a team of coworkers, eat lunch with your friends, gather with family and friends for a celebration, watch your children play after-school sports with other parents, read and comment on political news and opinion pieces on social media, or participate in an online support group. In this course, you will learn about the ways groups can affect your thoughts, behaviors, and the communities to which you belong. You will explore topics in social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, group conformity, the bystander effect, groupthink, and group polarization. As one outcome of this course, you will learn about the processes and consequences of these group dynamics, both good and bad, and ways to identify and manage their effects.

Syllabus

Learn With PsycLearn Essentials

This module introduces you to your PsycLearn Essentials course. Find out what’s included in this course and how to navigate the modules and lessons. You’ll also learn valuable study tips for successful learning.

Opening to Psychology of Group Behaviors

Groups affect our thoughts and behaviors on a daily basis. In this course we discuss several group effects: social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, conformity, the bystander effect, group polarization, and groupthink.

Individuals in Groups

This module examines how the behavior of individuals changes in groups through the processes of social facilitation, social loafing, and deindividuation. You will learn about the conditions and consequences of these processes, and how your own behavior may be a result of these group influences.

Group Conformity and the Bystander Effect

This module will explore conformity, a phenomenon that can occur when people seek to fulfill their need for affiliation by joining groups, and the bystander effect, a phenomenon in which people in groups fail to offer needed help in emergencies.

Group Decision Making

Group polarization and groupthink are two potential pitfalls of group decision making. Group polarization is the tendency for members of a group discussing an issue to move toward a more extreme version of the position they held before the discussion began. Groupthink occurs when the desire to maintain group cohesiveness causes group members to exert pressure on other group members to reach an agreement, without critically evaluating the quality of the decision.

Course Summary

Groups can influence us in major and minor ways. In this module, we examined the effects groups can have on our thoughts and behaviors. The effects can be positive or negative. And the effects can be on events that happen on a daily basis or just once in a lifetime.

Cumulative Quiz

This module contains a cumulative quiz.

Course Resources

This module contains a glossary, course references and a list of contributors to the course.

PsycLearn Essentials APA Student Resources

This module provides a variety of information and tools from the American Psychological Association (APA) that will help inspire you as you complete your coursework and plan your career goals. Get discounted access to Academic Writer, APA’s online tool for writing effectively, as well as valuable advice that will help you develop and strengthen your skillset for learning success and future employment. Additionally, explore resources on various psychological issues. This module also includes APA resources on scholarly research and writing; a list of sites providing valuable resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion in psychology education and in the professional community; resources on a career in psychology; and links to career opportunities at the APA. You can also view videos that offer tips on dealing with stress.