I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any other ability under the sun.

1. I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any other ability under the sun. • John D. Rockefeller

2. Outline • Why groups? • 1. Groups Help us Accomplish Things • 2. Groups are Change Agents • 3. Groups are Sources of Meaning & Belonging • 4. Groups are Sources of Identity • 5. Groups are Sources of Information

3. 1. Groups Help us Accomplish Things • Groups can be the agents of enhanced productivity • Groups are often necessary to deliver a product or service or to reach a goal

4. 2. Groups are Change Agents • Personal change and growth • Instilling hope • Remind us that everyone has problems • Provide alternative problem solving methods • Provide feedback and input • Political and economic change • Grassroots women’s political groups (women’s equality) • Organized political action groups (civil rights)

5. 3. Groups are Sources of Meaning & Belonging Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Self- actualization Esteem Belongingness & Love Safety Physiological

6. 3. Groups are Sources of Meaning & Belonging • Need to Belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) • “The need to belong is a powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation.” • A lack of belongingness constitutes severe deprivation and causes a variety of ill effects. “Alone.... Uh, I’m alone! I'm a lonely, insignificant speck on a has-been planet orbited by a cold, indifferent sun. “ -Homer Simpson • The belongingness hypothesis • A drive to form and maintain at least a minimum number of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships.

7. 4. Groups are Sources of Identity "The Packers are like your children. You don’t love them because they’re good. You love them because they’re YOURS. " -Packers fan, Steve Gay

8. Social Identity Theory • People have an innate and strong tendency to mentally organize things and people into categories • To the extent that we associate ourselves with groups (i.e. categorize ourselves), we have social identities • Social identities (via our group memberships) are important aspects of how we define ourselves • To the extent that we identify with groups that are valued (e.g., powerful, prestigious, high status, popular), we’ll feel good about ourselves.

9. 5. Groups are Sources of Information • We use groups to get information about ourselves • Want to evaluate self, lack of objective standards, compare to similar others! • Social comparison theory • People evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others

10. Social Comparison • Social comparison is sometimes unavoidable • EXAMPLE: (Morse & Gergen, 1970) • “Mr. Clean/Mr. Dirty” study • Male students applied for job • Participants filled out self-esteem measure • Mr. Clean or Mr. Dirty arrived • Participants filled out another self-esteem scale • RESULTS: • Mr. Clean’s arrival lead to a self-esteem decrease!! • Mr. Dirty’s arrival lead to a self-esteem increase!!

11. Social Comparison Theory • Motives for social comparison: • 1) Accuracy • The motive to seek truthful self-knowledge • 2) Self-enhancement • The motive to seek positive self-knowledge • 3) Self-improvement • The motive to seek models for success • Targets of comparison • Upward target: someone who is better off • Downward target: someone who is worse off

12. Upward & Downward Social Comparisons • EXAMPLE: (Taylor et al., 1985) • Social comparison and cancer patients study • Women with breast cancer made downward comparisons to women worse off. • "I think I did extremely well under the circumstances. I know that there are just some women who aren't strong enough, who fall apart and become psychologically disturbed and what have you. It's a big adjustment for them." • Preferred to associate with those better off • BOTTOM LINE: • Depends on motivation: • Want to improve: UPWARD • Want to enhance: DOWNWARD

13. Social Comparisons: SEM • Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) theory focuses on consequences of another’s good performance on one’s self-evaluation. • Comparison effect: • If other person outperforms us on important dimension, the closer the person the greater the threat • Jealous, envious, frustrated, angry • Reflection effect: • If other person outperforms us on irrelevant dimension, the closer the person the greater our self-enhancement

14. Reflection Effect • Basking in reflected glory (BIRGing) • EXAMPLE: (Cialdini et al, 1976) • Looked at the percentage of people in large lecture classes who wore ASU sweatshirts after the Sun Devils won versus after they lost • A much higher percentage of people wore ASU sweatshirts, shirts and hats after the team won than after then lost

15. Apply It! • Think about a group you belong to and with which you strongly identify • Write down what that group means to you • List some examples (e.g., things you’ve said or done or felt) that demonstrate that you strongly identify with that group • Think about a group you belong to but with which you don’t identify • Write down what that group means (or doesn’t mean) to you • List some examples that demonstrate your lack of identification with that group • Think about a group you belong to but with which you actively disidentify • Write down what that group means to you • List some examples that demonstrate your disidentification

16. Apply it! • List the groups in which you are a member. With these in mind, describe you strengths and weaknesses in groups. Which group skills are you strong at and which skills would you like to strengthen? Consider such things as: • Whether you are satisfied with your level of participation? • How often you take the leadership role • How do you deal with difficult members/situation • How you handle conflict in a group and between groups • How other members would describe your group behavior