Group’s Effect on Performance

The effect of a group on performance can be positive or negative.

Social Facilitation

We are affected by the mere presence of another person. Mere presence means that people are not competing with each other and they are present as a passive audience or co-actors. Does our normal activities of eating and playing are affected by mere presence of others? In daily life we can notice such differences in our behavior.

It is found that cyclicts or joggers in a park times are faster when racing or moving together than doing alone against the clock. It has also been found that social arousal facilitates performance.

Social Loafing

Social loafing is the tendency of people in a group to exert less effort towards a common goal. When they are individually accountable contrary to common notion "in unity there is strength" group members are actually less motivated when reward is equally divided and the task is less challenging, appealing or involving.

In contrast people in a group are likely to loaf less when the task is appealing and member’s identify with the group.

Social facilitation is a process by which people are aroused in a group and leads to better performance. Social loafing refers to diffused responsibility. It means that members of the group do not put in the necessary effort to achieve the goal or task. 

Have you played the game ‘tug of war’ with a rope? Have you noticed that people in the front are putting in effort and are pulling the rope, whereas people at the tail end, are just holding the rope? Yes, social loafing is common when one’s effort is not being measured or rewarded.

Group Size

The bigger the group size the more its members loose self-awareness and in an aroused state are more likely to commit mob atrocities of looting, burning or lynching. An aroused mob enables its members to believe they will not be persecuted, they perceive the action as that of groups.

Group Polarization

When a group has to make a decision, the members meet. It is noticed that while the discussion is going on, there is a strong tendency for the group decision to shift to be more extreme and risky. When one holds a given opinion or position with regard to a topic, then during a group discussion information supporting one’s view points helps us to validate our beliefs and opinions. This shift from a position of no or little risk to an extreme position is termed as group polarization.

This happens because group members may get new information and more persuasive arguments.

Group Think

Group think refers to group-induced distortions that do not allow objective considerations of all the possible alternatives. It takes place when a cohesive group remains isolated from dissenting viewpoints. The presence of a directive leader who signals what decision he or she favors also contributes to it.

The group think phenomenon occurs due to illusion of invulnerability, unquestioned belief in the groups morality, rationalization and conformity pressure.