Grouping the group experience reflects the innately social nature of man. It is a phenomena found present in every human interaction, evolving within the most highly sophisticated concepts of modern man in science, sociology, philosophy and psychology. As a result, groups and group dynamics have become the focus of intensive study of research in attempts to define, understand and utilize these principles found to be both inherent and predictable. Educators also have become interested in groups as they seek positive change in the educational system for the optimal learning of all students.
Webster defines "group" as: "a number of persons or things gathered closely together and forming a recognizable unit." People can be both stimulated and distracted by being in a group. They respond to a wide variety of group norms and pressures. Being in a group causes an individual to behave and think differently from when he is alone (Freedman & Sears, 1981, p. 555). To better understand this we will discuss the main elements involved in group dynamics. These include: "social facilitation," "competition versus cooperation," "factors affecting competition," "problem solving by groups," "extremity shifts," and "groups as mobs."
When people are in the same place at the same time, no matter how non-interactive, research has pointed out that they tend to perform most tasks better then when they are alone (Freedman & Sears, 1981, p. 555). This effect, called "social facilitation," is not limited to humans or to specific tasks. However, despite these impressive findings, sometimes the presence of others can interfere with performance. So how do we explain these diverse results?
It has been found that the presence of others increases a person's drive or activation. However, it also can produce feelings of competition and concerns about being evaluated (Freedman & Sears, 1981, p. 558). Two people in a room say feel competitive towar...