Social Loafing

What a cool phrase! Today we learned about some other concepts of group psychology, and social loafing is one of them. It's basically the effect that takes place when the tug of war is on, and each individual member of the group chooses to work less hard than they might if pulling on their own.
Deindividuation is what happens when someone feels free to cyber bully, and say things they would never say in person.
Here are some of the interesting facts that have been discovered about groups after lots of studies...

10 Rules That Govern Groups

What most groups of people have in common.

Much of our lives are spent in groups with other people: we form groups to socialise, earn money, play sport, make music, even to change the world. But although groups are diverse, many of the psychological processes involved are remarkably similar.

Here are 10 insightful studies that give a flavour of what has been discovered about the dynamics of group psychology.

1. Groups can arise from almost nothing

2. Initiation rites improve group evaluations

3. Groups breed conformity

4. Learn the ropes or be ostracised

5. You become your job

6. Leaders gain trust by conforming

7. Groups can improve performance…

8. …but people will loaf

9. The grapevine is 80% accurate

10. Groups breed competition

Conformity

Today we looked into some group psychology, and in particular what it is about groups that makes us act in a particular way.
We read a book called Ferdinand, about a bull that is unlike all the others and refuses to conform. It's a wonderful example of the kind of diversity which is not only accepted but promoted in our modern society.
However, that doesn't change the fact that most often than not we will find ourselves behaving in a certain way in order to conform with the group we belong to, even if the group's behaviours are not in line with our usual personality.
There have been many studies done along these lines.
We watched a Khan Academy video and learned some new terms: Groupthink, the Bystander Effect, and Deindividuation.

Bystander effect:

Multiple Intelligences and Social Identity

Today we had a look at the graphs of our Multiple Intelligence quizzes. We talked about why we took three of them and averaged the results, and we talked about the dangers of seeing a test like this as a negative thing. We also talked about how the results are useless if we choose to skew them.
This video from the Khan Academy looks at Self Concept and Social Identity, and Kristy asked a good question about comparisons and whether they are a Good Thing or a Bad Thing. I think in the end it depends on attitude - we could use comparisons to increase our self esteem, or we could use them as a springboard to self motivation.

Self concept, self identity, and social identity:


We read together the book "Frederick" by Leo Lionni. Frederick is a field mouse who does not help his four brothers and sisters collect food stores for the long winter ahead. Instead he tells them that he is gathering the sun, words and colours so that it will keep them going.
The students immediately saw that Frederick had different smarts from the rest of his family. We discussed whether he should be judged negatively for this. It also raised questions about the nature of work, and whether all contributions to a joint goal should be rewarded in the same way. What would happen if all his family decided they were poets? What if they were all collectors? Danielle mentioned that the book is about diversity.
I introduced the students very briefly to the concept of Socialism, its aims and ideals.