In your school or work life, you must have faced a situation when you had been assigned to a group project where each member of the group had a different expectation of work and most of them had even decided to do less than their share of work. The Tuckman model of group development demonstrates a process by which a group moves from a group of individuals to a cohesive working group. Another issue that may come up within a group are instances when a group faces threat situations and maintaining the vitality of the group becomes more important than achieving the tasks or goals assigned to the group. One of the theories most active in such situations is groupthink.
In social psychology, what problems do groups face with individual(s) who are reluctant to perform their share of work? Explain why individuals tend to exert less effort when working in groups.
Considering the Tuckman model, describe an experience where you observed or had been a part of a group that may have developed along its continuum. Did the group go through all the stages of group development or stopped after reaching a certain stage? Describe circumstances that inhibited or promoted the transition from one stage to the next.
Describe the symptoms of groupthink as it pertains to group behavior. Describe a situation you consider as an example of groupthink (other than the ones already mentioned in the textbook). Explain why you consider this situation as groupthink. In case you were able to intervene in the group’s processes, what would you do to minimize or eliminate groupthink?
Textbook:
Myers, D., & Twenge, J. (2021). Social psychology (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill.