A substantial introduction to the study of group behaviour in developing countries, this text provides both relevant theoretical issues and case studies.

Janis identifies the causes and fateful consequences of groupthink, the process that takes over when decision-making bodies agree for the sake of agreeing to abandon their critical judgment.

Abstract: The text is written for readers with a command of basic principles of social psychology but have relatively little background in the study of group behavior. The author suggests that groups are formed for a broad variety of purposes and that our effectiveness in working with groups can be increased by understanding some of the many variables that affect group processes. The author introduces findings from a number of empirical studies to make inferences about group behavior. After introducing the reader to the study of small groups the author addresses several key topical areas in a chapter by chapter approach: (1) individuals and groups, (2) group formation and development, (3) physical environment of groups, (4) personal characteristics of group members, (5) group composition, (6) group structure, (7) leadership, (8) group tasks and group goals, (9) groups in action, and (10) issues and problems.

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: A group consists of some people who interact during a certain time. The number of group members is that small that there is the possibility for every member to interact with every other group member face to face. If people meet by accident who are not close friends, it will be not a group. If you want to learn more about the formation of groups you will find two leading models which display the phases of group formation. On the one hand there is the Bernstein and Lowy model on the other hand Bruce Tuckman also designed a phase model which shows the formation of groups. Roles in groups can be positive and negative. They are supporting the group as collectivity and are not only the result of individual need, abilities and characteristics. There are different ways for the classification of groups. Groups can be classified in general according to following characteristics: size, topic / task of the group. Also a way for classifying groups is the classification according the Riemann-Thomann-Cross. The next chapters this assignment shows a rough overview of the various possibilities for the classification of groups. As there are many influencing facts for the effectiveness of groups and very contradictory interests, the advantages for one group of interest are the disadvantages for the other group of interest. The economical group of interest measures the effectiveness of a group by its productivity, flexibility and quality. The individual in a group identifies effectiveness in the group by reasonable tasks, feeling of togetherness in the group and diverse interpersonal relationships. At workplaces, with friends together or even with complete strangers informal groups emerge nearly everywhere in real life. The aims of informal groups are usually but not always different from those of formal groups. The development within the group is apart from small differences not much different from formal groups. The process of forming, storming, norming, performing and eventually adjourning, as Professor Tuckman has described, is nearly the same. One crucial point is that informal groups are NOT part of a formal organisation and members in most of these cases are free to leave whenever they want. Therefore it is unusual to undergo e. g. a destructive storming. Before it comes to such a storming, often one or more members will leave the group in advance. Leadership is especially in informal groups a difficult topic. But [...]

Using group development as an organizing principle, this work offers a dynamic view of groups, explaining that group processes operate differently at various points in the group's cycle. Seven disciplines within the field are represented, offering the reader a variety of perspectives.

Group development, a key factor in treatment effectiveness, is covered in virtually every introductory text on group psychotherapy. This is the first book devoted exclusively to this process. In this volume, Virginia Brabender and April Fallon chronicle the rich history of group development research, provide a survey of modern theories of group development, and introduce the authors' own five-stage model of group development. The authors demonstrate the importance of group identity to the achievement of treatment goals through a series of vivid, real-life vignettes that illustrate the characteristic behavior of group members at each stage. They apply their developmental perspective not only to traditional unstructured groups but also to focused groups and groups emerging from postmodern frameworks, such as social constructionism and narrative psychology.