Cohesion
the force that keeps groups intact by bringing people together who resist forces that tear
groups apart. Can be reached in many different ways
equifinality
the potential to reach a given
end state through any one of a number of means.
Cohesion is a multi-component process and can be interpreted and defined in different ways.
Components:
- Social cohesion
- Task cohesion
- Collective cohesion
- Emotional cohesion
- Structural cohesion
Social cohesion
a unity based on bonds of attraction among members and attraction to the
group itself.
-Lewin & Festinger: group cohesion = cohesion is a field of social forces that keeps
members in their groups.
- Hogg: social attraction = group-level attraction that is based on social identity
processes.
Task cohesion
a unity based on members who share a common goal that motivates them
to work together to achieve that goal.
- Groups that participate in task cohesion often score high on collective efficacy = the
belief among group members that the group is capable of organizing and executing
actions required to attain the group’s goals. - Group potency = the level of the group’s shared optimism regarding its collective
capabilities.
Collective cohesion
a unity based on members’ level of identification with the group.
- Identity fusion theory = both the personal self as the collective self are being
strengthened, which can result in self and group identities fusing into one.
Emotional cohesion
the affective intensity of the group.
- Napoleon: esprit de corps = feeling of unity, commitment, trust, and enthusiasm
toward the group.
-Lawyer, Thye & Yoon: relational cohesion theory = cohesion results from the positive
emotions that members attribute to social exchange in groups.
-Behavioral synchrony increases group cohesion by evoking more positive emotions
than negative ones.
Structural cohesion
a unity based on the structural integrity of the group, including roles,
norms, and interpersonal networks between members.
-Sherif: some structural features (e.g., absence of subgroups, less hierarchy, etc.)
promote and increase cohesiveness.
-Ziller: open groups (= no clear boundaries, easy to enter and to leave) display less
cohesion than closed groups (= clear boundaries, not easy to enter or leave), because
closed groups have more membership stability and more identification with the
group.
Tuckman: five-stage model of group development
1) Forming/Orientation stage, (2) Storming/Conflict stage, (3) Norming/Structure stage, (4)
Performing/Performance stage, and (5) Adjourning/Dissolution stage.
Many groups follow a different developmental course over time:
Tuckman’s model is a successive-stage theory = it specifies the usual order of the
phases of group development.
-Bales’ equilibrium model: holds that groups cycle through various stages repeatedly.
- Punctuated equilibrium models = suggest that groups switch between periods of
slowed changes and periods of speeded changes.
-Cultures differ in perception of time of the phases of group development: (1) Polychronic cultures: time is fluent and continuous, members work on multiple
different tasks at the same time without feeling pressured, and (2) Monochronic cultures: time is a source that can be subdivided into small unities (like minutes and hours), members work on task in a logical order in which they prefer to finish one task before starting the other. > P-cultures develop more slowly and follow a less stage-like progression than M-cultures.
Consequences of cohesion:
- Member satisfaction and adjustment
- Group dynamics and influence
- Group productivity
Member satisfaction and adjustment
- Positive: members of a group with high levels of cohesion are often more satisfied
than members of groups with lower levels. Cooperation goes smoother and there is
less mention of fear and anxiety. - Negative: cohesive groups can be psychologically/emotionally demanding, for
instance in cases of loneliness, isolation, and mistrust. Old sergeant syndrome =
symptoms of psychological disturbance (e.g., depression, anxiety, guilt) exhibited by
officers in cohesive units that suffer heavy circumstances.
Group dynamics and influence
- Positive: group dynamics increase, and therefore also the interpersonal interaction
between members. - Negative: when approaching a difficult task, group members can express aggressive
interpersonal behaviors, such as scapegoating, hostility among members, and
domination of subordinate members.
Group productivity
- Positive: the greater the group cohesion, the better the team performs (in sports),
but also the other way around; the better the team performs, the more the group
cohesion will increase. - Negative: BUT if group norms do not encourage high productivity, then cohesiveness
and productivity/performance are negatively related.
Initiation
some kind of ritual that groups require that a member must pass before he can join the
group.
Festinger: theory of cognitive dissonance
initiations create dissonance (= psychological
state in which people have contradictory cognitions) that new members must resolve by
emphasizing the positive characteristics of the group and by increasing their commitment.
Hazing
severe initiation that exposes new members to significant psychological and
physical risks. Its functions:
- Bonding: person becomes dependent of the group, because the group is seen as a source of support and acceptation. Group cohesion increases because the individuality of the new member is being decreased and the member becomes socially dependent.
- Dominance: hierarchic functions are being expressed to the new members.
- Commitment: hazing asks for commitment and people who aren’t committed are being excluded.
- Tradition: because it has always been this way.
> It actually does not increase group cohesion.
