Theories about groups

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Here are academic theories about how groups behave.

The pressure to conform

• Epistemological Weighting Hypothesis: conformance depends on how closely our norms match group norms.
• Group Locomotion Hypothesis: members are motivated to achieve group goals.
• Groupthink: maintenance of group cohesion becomes all-important.
• Normative Social Influence: basic group need forces us to conform.
• Politeness Theory: we are nice where respect is needed (and vice versa).
• Roles: we conform with shared expectations of behavior.
• Social Impact Theory: conformance increases with importance, immediacy and number of others.
• Social Norms: groups have rules that must be followed. 
• Pluralistic Ignorance: sometimes most people disagree with a group norm, but nobody speaks out.

In-group vs. out-group

• In-Group Bias: we give group members preferential treatment.
• Hostile Media Phenomenon: opposed groups see neutral people as biased.
• Linguistic Inter-group Bias: Varying abstraction in communication.
• Minority Influence: groups tolerate minorities, who should stick together.
• Out-Group Homogeneity: seeing non-group people as 'all the same'.

Making decisions

• Group Polarization Phenomenon: groups are more extreme in decisions.
• Groupthink: maintenance needs leads to limited or blinkered decisions.
• Persuasive Arguments Theory: to sway others in group, arguments tend to be extreme.
• Risky Shift Phenomenon: groups take either more or less extreme risks.

Other group behavior

• Deindividuation: losing our sense of self in the crowd.
• Group Attribution Error: groups attribute much like individuals do.
• Minimum Group Theory: when in any group, people use group behavior.
• Leader-Member Exchange Theory: leaders and members create tacit agreements.

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See also

Values

Theories about friendship

Theories about helping others

Theories about how we think about ourselves

Theories about how we understand people

Theories about conforming