Foundations of Groups & Teams
This term refers to two or more individuals who are connected by and within social relationships.
What is a group?
This basic motivation reflects our need to join with others and seek social approval.
What is the need for affiliation?
This refers to the process by which team members combine their KSAs—knowledge, skills, and abilities—to achieve a goal.
What is teamwork?
A work team reports strong “bonding” after spending a lot of time socializing. How would a psychologist describe their form of cohesion?
What is social (interpersonal) cohesion?
According to Tuckman, this is the first stage of group development.
What is forming (orientation)?
This concept refers to the scientific study of interpersonal processes that occur within and between groups.
What is group dynamics?
According to Thibaut and Kelly, people compare their current group relationships to this internal standard of what they think they deserve.
What is the comparison level (CL)?
According to Hackman’s model (named this) teams are most effective when they have a compelling direction, enabling structure, and supportive context.
What is the real teams model?
A work team reports strong “bonding” after it unites around shared goals. How would a psychologist describe their form of cohesion?
What is task (goal-oriented) cohesion?
This model assumes groups alternate their focus between tasks and relationships over time.
What is the equilibrium model?
Two study groups have the same number of people and resources, but one consistently underperforms because members rely on others to do the work. What phenomenon is this?
What is social loafing?
The tendency for people to affiliate with those who are physically or socially close to them is called this principle.
What is the proximity principle (or principle of propinquity)?
The shared belief among group members that the team is capable of achieving its goals is known as this.
What is collective efficacy?
Employees who go through a challenging onboarding or high-effort team project often develop stronger bonds and a greater sense of belonging within their team. What theory explains this process?
What is the theory of cognitive dissonance?
This theory suggests groups experience slow growth punctuated by brief periods of rapid change.
What is the punctuated equilibrium model?
The apparent cohesiveness or unity of an assemblage of individuals—how much they seem like a single entity—is called this.
What is entitativity?
This principle describes why people join and remain in groups that provide them maximum rewards with minimal costs.
What is Social Exchange Theory's Minimax Principle?
This concept refers to the distribution of information across team members who can be relied on to recall or apply it when needed.
What are transactive memory systems?
A newly formed nonprofit team struggles with low motivation until members start celebrating small wins together, which makes them feel closer and more committed. What theory explains how shared positive emotion strengthens group bonds?
What is relational cohesion theory?
A group moves predictably from orientation to conflict, then to cohesion, performance, and eventually dissolution. What type of theory does this pattern represent?
What is a successive-stage theory of group development?
A manager notices that when team members’ personal and group identities strongly overlap, they defend the team’s reputation as if it were their own. What theory best explains this?
What is social identity theory?
William Schutz proposed this theory, emphasizing inclusion, control, and affection as key motives for group formation.
What is the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO) theory?
A team of surgeons is highly skilled but performs poorly in emergencies due to miscommunication. What concept explains the gap between what the team could do and what it actually does?
What is process loss?
This theory explains that individual identity can fuse with group identity, leading to extreme self-sacrifice or heroism.
What is identity fusion theory?
Some groups do not move neatly through “forming–storming–norming–performing–adjourning” stages but instead cycle repeatedly between conflict and harmony. Which model best explains this, and what does it suggest about group development?
What is the cyclical (recurring-phase) model — suggesting development is nonlinear and situationally responsive.