Group Behavior

Understanding how people behave in groups

Topics

How does group size affect behavior?

Group size affects behavior by influencing individual participation, decision quality, conformity pressure, social loafing, and the balance between diverse perspectives and efficiency.

How does groupthink work?

Groupthink occurs when group cohesion and desire for consensus override critical thinking, leading to poor decisions. It involves pressure for conformity, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, and suppression of dissenting views.

Why do groups make risky decisions?

Groups make risky decisions due to diffusion of responsibility, social comparison, group polarization, and the tendency to take more risks when individual accountability is reduced.

Why do people conform in groups?

People conform in groups due to informational influence, normative pressure, desire for acceptance, fear of rejection, and the need to maintain group harmony.

Why do people follow crowds?

People follow crowds due to informational influence (assuming the crowd knows something), normative influence (wanting to fit in), safety in numbers, reduced responsibility, and evolutionary advantages of group behavior.

Why do people join cults?

People join cults due to vulnerability, need for belonging, search for meaning, charismatic leadership, love bombing, isolation from outside influences, and gradual indoctrination that exploits psychological needs.