Groups

Type of psychology: Social psychology
Field of study: Group processes
The structure and function of groups have stimulated a large quantity of research over
the years. What groups are, how groups form, and the positive and negative effects of
groups on individuals are the primary areas of research that have provided insights
into social behavior.
Key concepts
• deindividuation
• density
• group formation
• identity
• self-attention
• social support
In any newspaper, one is likely to find several captivating stories that highlight
the powerful negative influence that groups can exert on individuals.
For example, one may recall the tragic violence exhibited by British sports
fans at the international soccer matches in Belgium in the spring of 1985.
One may also consider the one-man crime wave of Fred Postlewaite. For
twenty years, Postlewaite engaged in a cross-country vandalism spree against
the Sigma Alpha Epsilon college fraternity, which had rejected him in his
youth.
There are equally dramatic instances of the powerful positive influences
of groups. When the Spy Run Creek in Fort Wayne, Indiana, began to flood
its banks in 1982, a group of the community’s youths voluntarily participated
in efforts to hold back its rising waters. There was also the rescue of
four-year-old Michelle de Jesus, who had fallen from a subway platform into
the path of an onrushing train. Everett Sanderson, a bystander, leapt down
onto the tracks and flung the child into the crowd above. After he failed in
his attempt to jump back to the platform, he was pulled up to safety at the
last instant by bystanders.
These real-life events are noteworthy because they illustrate the universality
of groups and the various ways that groups influence individual behavior.
Although everyone can attest the prevalence of groups and the power that
they can wield over individuals, several characteristics of groups are not as
well defined. Several questions remain as to what groups are, how groups
form, what groups look like, and the disadvantages and advantages of group
membership. In spite of these questions, psychologists have come to understand
many aspects of groups and the ways in which they influence individual
behavior.