4

Formation

Groups form through personal,

situational, and interpersonal Who joins groups?
processes. Formation depends on the
members themselves; some are more When do people seek
likely than others to join groups. Groups out others?
come into existence when
circumstances push people together What processes
rather than keeping them apart. Groups generate bonds of
also spring up when people discover interpersonal
that they like one another, and this attraction between
attraction provides the foundation for
the development of interpersonal
members of groups?
bonds. Images Courtesy of the Yorck Project
 Preview
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Personality Social Comparison Principles of

Attraction

Men and Women

Stress and Affiliation The Economics of
Membership
Social Motivation
Social Comparison and Relationships?
the Self Depends on
Anxiety and Attachment
attraction between
Attitudes, Experiences, When? Depends people, for groups
Expectations
on the situation form when
(e.g., ambiguous, individuals find
Who? Depends on
tasks) they like one
individuals' personal
qualities (traits, social another.
motives, sex, etc.)
 The Five Factor
Joining Groups Model of Personality

Who Joins Groups and

Who
WaysRemains Apart?
in which
each person is like
some other people;
Personality
dimensions of
variation among
people

The Five Factor Model

(FFM) describes the
big 5 personality
traits or dimensions of
difference.
Men and Women

Sex differences in group engagement are

relatively minor

Women tend to be higher than men in relationality.

Women seek membership in smaller, informal,
intimate groups, whereas men seek membership in
larger, more formal, task-focused groups.
These differences are likely due, in part, to sex roles
and sexism.
Social Motivation

Social motives predict peoples

interest in joining groups

need for affiliation (and

rejection sensitivity)
need for intimacy
need for power

These motives are often measured

using indirect, projective tests and
experience sample methods
 Social Motivation

Schutzs work on his Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO) theory that
explains how people use groups to satisfy their need to receive and express inclusion,
control, and affection.
Anxiety and Attachment

Individuals
who are
socially
inhibited, shy,
and anxious
are less likely
to join groups.
Attitudes, Experiences, Peoples attitudes, experiences, and expectations
Expectations are all factors that influence their decision to join a
group.

Karaus Beliefs about Groups Scale

 Students who had positive experiences in groups in high school
Attitudes, Experiences, were more likely to seek out groups to join in college (the direct
Expectations relationship between "positive experiences in groups" and
"seeking groups").

Source: Brinthaupt, Moreland, & Levine, 1991; Pavelchak,

Moreland, & Levine, 1986

Note: Sense of Injustice + Negative Emotions (Anger) = Social Movement Participation

 Affiliation
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Affiliation is the gathering together of

conspecifics in one location.

Affiliation becomes more likely in some

situations and less likely in others.

When individuals face uncertain or

bewildering conditions, when they
experience stressful circumstances, and
when they are fearful (but not
embarrassed), by joining a group they
can gain the information and social
support they need to help them cope
with difficult circumstances.
Joining Groups

Sex differences in group engagement are

relatively minor.

Women tend to be higher than men in relationality.

Women seek membership in smaller, informal,
intimate groups, whereas men seek membership in
larger, more formal, task-focused groups.
These differences are likely due, in part, to sex roles
and sexism.
Social Comparison Affiliation and social comparison

Social comparison: gaining information from

other peoples reactions
(Festinger, 1954)

Psychological
reaction Affiliation
Ambiguous, and social Cognitive
confusing Negative comparison Clarity
emotions with others
circumstances
Uncertainty
Need for
information
Social Comparison
Schachters studies of
affiliation

How do people react

in an ambiguous,
Misery loves frightening situation?
company: People
affiliate with others
Misery loves
miserable company:
Schachter found people
prefer to wait with others
facing a similar
experience.
 Other Motives May Reduce Affiliation

Morris and his colleagues studied what people actually

do when they affiliate in 3 types of situations
 Groups facilitate both fight-or-
Stress and Affiliation flight and tend-and-befriend
responses to stress.
 Types of Social
Stress and Affiliation
Support

Belonging

Emotional support

Informational support

Instrumental support

Spiritual support
Social Comparison and Directional
the Self
Comparison

Downward Self-evaluation
Upward Social
Social Maintenance
Comparison
Comparison (SEM)
Choosing Choosing People prefer
comparison comparison to associate
targets who targets who with indivi-
are perform- are perform- duals who do
ing poorly ing poorly not outper-
compared to compared to form them in
oneself oneself areas that are
very relevant
Boosts self- Increases to their self-
esteem optimism, esteem
elevates goals
Social Comparison and
the Self

If the students
thought that the task
was important, they
judged their
performance to be
superior to that of
their close friend. If
the task was not
important to them
personally, they felt
that they had
performed relatively
worse (Tesser,
Campbell, & Smith,
1984).
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Personality Social Comparison Principles of

Attraction

Men and Women Newcomb (1960) offered 17 The Economics of

Stress and Affiliation
young men starting their studiesMembership
Social Motivation at the University of Michigan
freeComparison
Social rent if they
andanswered a
Anxiety and Attachment detailed survey of their attitudes,
the Self
likes, and dislikes each week.
Attitudes, Experiences, Then he watched as the 17
Expectations students sorted themselves out
into friendship pairs and distinct
groups
Newcomb identified a small
number of principles that explain
when liking is more likely.
 Principles of
Attraction

Proximity Elaboration Similarity

People tend Groups often People like

to like those emerge when others who
who are additional are similar to
situated elements them in some
nearby, in (people) way. In
part because become consequence,
it increases linked to the most groups
familiarity original tend toward
and members. increasing
interaction levels of
homophily.
 Principles of
Attraction

Frequent online interactions A network view of relational

increase attraction. elaboration
 Principles of
Attraction

Complementarity Reciprocity Minimax

People like others Liking tends to be Individuals are

whose qualities mutual attracted to groups
complement their that offer them
own qualities maximum rewards
and minimal costs.

Schutz identified two key forms of compatibility:

interchange compatibility (based on similarity) and
originator compatibility (based on complementarity).
The Economics of
Membership

Satisfaction is determined by comparison level (CL)

Value of other groups determines comparison level for

alternatives (CLalt)
 Review
Joining Groups Affiliation Attraction

Personality Social Comparison Principles of

Attraction

Men and Women

Stress and Affiliation The Economics of
Membership
Social Motivation
Social Comparison and
the Self
Anxiety and Attachment

Attitudes, Experiences,
Expectations
 Claude Monet (18401926), Nymphas

Henri Fantin-Latour (18361904) Around the Table

The work of art depicted in these images and the reproduction thereof are in
the public domain worldwide. The reproduction is part of a collection of
reproductions compiled by The Yorck Project. The compilation copyright is
held by Zenodot Verlagsgesellschaft mbH and licensed under the GNU Free
Documentation License.