TOPIC 7 : BEHAVIOR IN SOCIAL GROUP

EMOTION AS FOUNDATIONS FOR SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Emotional expressions serve as social signals. They occur much more often
when other people are present than when one is alone. Emotional
expressions help people who are together understand each others' desires
and needs, and this understanding improves their ability to cooperate.
SOCIAL PRESSURE
Social pressure - which arises from one's beliefs about what other people
expect or want one to do - is the central concept in Lewin's field theory and
Latane's social impact theory.
According to__________, the amount of pressure experienced by a target of
social pressure increases as the number, strength, and immediacy of the
sources of that pressure increase, and it decreases as the number of
targets of that pressure increases.
INFLUENCE OF OTHERS REQUEST
Social pressure derives
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Techniques used by expert sales personnel and fund-raisers to gain

compliance have been dissected in social psychological
laboratories.
TO CO-OPERATE OR NOT: THE DILEMMA OF SOCIAL LIFE
A social dilemma exists whenever a particular course of action or
inaction will:

(a) benefit the individual who takes that course,

(b) harm the others in the group, and

(c) cause more harm than good to everyone in the group if
everyone takes that course.
COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
The term Collective behavior refers to social processes and events which
do not reflect existing social structure (laws, conventions, and institutions),
but which emerge in a "spontaneous" way.

 Collective behavior might also be defined as action which is neither

conforming (in which actors follow prevailing norms) nor deviant (in which
actors violate those norms).
Collective behavior, a third form of action, takes place when norms are
absent or unclear, or when they contradict each other.
Examples of Collective Behavior
religious revival meetings (like those depicted in the documentary Marjoe),
a panic in a burning theater (e.g., the Kentucky Beverly Hills Supper Club
fire),
a sudden widespread interest in a website (e.g., MySpace) or clothing item
(e.g., wriststrong bracelets),
a collective social movement to improve the environment (e.g.,
Greenpeace),
the rapid spread of rumors (e.g., that Barack Obama is Muslim or not a US
citizen).
Collective behavior differs from group behavior in three ways:
collective behavior involves limited and short-lived social interaction while
groups tend to remain together longer
collective behavior has no clear social boundaries; anyone can be a
member of the collective while group membership is usually more
discriminating
collective behavior generates weak and unconventional norms while
groups tend to have stronger and more conventional norms
Traditionally, collective behavior in sociology includes four forms:
the crowd,

rumors,

the public,

riots,

the mass, and

trends,

the social movement.

fads.
People make social change happen in groups. Group actions are either not
organized
(collective behavior) or very organized (social movements).Collective
behavior is to when

 people engage in social interactions in response to unstructured,

ambiguous, or unstable condition.
Crowds
A crowd is a gathering of people who share a purpose or intent and
influence one another. Crowds are a common occurrence in modern life.
Most sporting events, concerts, and other performances result in the
gathering of crowds.
Blumer (1951) differentiated four types of crowds:
casual - loose collection of people with no real interaction (e.g, people at
the mall)
conventional - deliberately planned meeting (e.g., community meeting
organized by political leaders)
expressive - depicts a crowd at an emotionally charged event (e.g., a
political rally or soccer game in Europe or Latin America)
acting - a crowd intent on accomplishing something (e.g., fans rushing a
stage during or after a concert)
Diffuse Crowds
Collective behavior can also refer to behavior that is diffused or dispersed
over large distances. Not all collective behavior has to occur in the immediate
vicinity of others (compact crowds). This is especially true with the advent of
mass media, which allows for the rapid distribution of information around the
world.
Contagion Theory
Originally proposed by Gustave LeBon (1896), contagion theory proposes
that crowds exert a hypnotic influence on their members. The hypnotic
influence, combined with the anonymity of belonging to a large group of
people, results in irrational, emotionally charged behavior.
Convergence Theory
Convergence theory argues that the behavior of a crowd is not an
emergent property of the crowd but is a result of like-minded individuals
coming together. In other words, if a crowd becomes violent (a mob or
riot), convergence theory would argue that this is not because the crowd
encouraged violence but rather because people who wanted to become
violent came together in the crowd.
Emergent-Norm Theory

 Emergent-Norm Theory combines the above two theories, arguing that it is

a combination of like-minded individuals, anonymity, and shared emotion
that leads to crowd behavior .
Panic
Panic is a sudden terror which dominates thinking and often affects groups
of people. Panics typically occur in disaster situations, such as during a
fire, and may endanger the overall health of the affected group.
Moral Panic
A moral panic is a mass movement based on the perception that some
individual or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, poses a
menace to society. These panics are generally fuelled by media coverage
of social issues (although semi-spontaneous moral panics do occur), and
often include a large element of mass hysteria.
Riots
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups
lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence, vandalism or other
crime. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are
typically chaotic and exhibit herd-like behavior.
Mass Hysteria
Hysteria is a diagnostic label applied to a state of mind, one of
unmanageable fear or emotional excesses. People who are "hysterical"
often lose self-control due to the overwhelming fear.
Fads
A fad, also known as a craze, refers to a fashion that becomes popular in a
culture (or subcultures) relatively quickly, remains popular, often for a
rather brief period, then loses popularity dramatically.
Rumors
A rumor is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events
circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or
issue in public concern" , though the definition can vary. Rumors generally
involve some kind of a statement the veracity of which is not quickly or
ever confirmed.
Rumors have three basic characteristics
they're transmitted by word of mouth
they provide "information" about a person, happening, or condition

 they express and gratify the emotional needs of the community

Examples of rumors include:
the alleged removal of weapons of mass destruction from Iraq to Syria
sexual innuendo in The Little Mermaid adaptation by Disney
sexual innuendo in The Lion King, another Disney film
sexual innuendo in Aladdin, another Disney film
that John McCain had an illegitimate black child
that Barack Obama is a Muslim and was not born in the U.S.