Page 166 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

Group Influence on Individual Behavior

Individual behavior is influenced by the presence of others. (Crano, 2000) For example,

studies have found that individuals work harder and faster when others are present (see social

facilitation), and that an individual’s performance is reduced when others in the situation create

distraction or conflict. (Crano, 2000) Groups also influence individual’s decision-making

processes. These include decisions related to ingroup bias, persuasion (see Asch conformity

experiments), obedience (see Milgram Experiment), and groupthink.

There are both positive and negative implications of group influence on individual

behavior. This type of influence is often useful in the context of work settings, team sports, and

political activism. However, the influence of groups on the individual can also generate extremely

negative behaviors, evident in Nazi Germany, the My Lai Massacre, and in the Abu Ghraib prison

(also see Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse). (Aranson, 2008)

Group Structure and Roles

A group's structure is the internal framework that defines members' relations to one another

over time. (Wittenbaum & Moreland, 2008) Frequently studied elements of group structure

include roles, norms, values, communication patterns, and status differentials. (Jex & Brit,

2008) Group structure has also been defined as the underlying pattern of roles, norms, and

networks of relations among members that define and organize the group. (Forsyth, 2009)

A Community Conversation even if informal will beget some form of structure. Most often

the sponsor or inviter of a small to medium sized CC gathering is also the facilitator however not

always as guest hosts can initiate topics for discussion and some groups rotate taking turns for

practice and experience building.

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