The Psychology of Groups

December 21, 2009

I recently rediscovered this interesting post about groups on a UK blog called “PsyBlog.” The article talks about various studies that provide unique insight into the psychology of group behavior.

I recommend you read the full post yourself, but here are some interesting points that might surprise you.

  1. Being a part of a group helps define a person’s identity.  Human nature drives us to be part of something useful and worthy and we place more value on a group we belong to than on one we don’t.  This is seen clearly in sports teams, but it’s true of every type of group.
  2. Group rules are usually followed very carefully by all members.  Once we have identified with our group, it is natural for us to conform to it’s rules.  Maybe we even fear being ostracized, or shunned.  Whatever the reason, studies show that it’s unusual for group rules, even unwritten or unspoken ones, to be broken.
  3. All group members have a role.  In some cases this is by formal arrangement, but many times it occurs naturally.  Beyond just having one person emerge as leader, others will also fall into certain patterns of behavior after a period of time.
  4. Being part of a group can help us improve as individuals.  For example, athletes who train in groups find that they improve their performance to a significantly higher level than when they train alone.  This is especially true if the athlete’s performance is not merely tied to the team’s overall performance, but has its own recognition and merit.
  5. People in groups are much more competitive than when alone.  Studies have shown that an individual will behave in a competitive manner almost 50% more often when the people present are in groups.  The study indicates this is because the individual believes that the other group(s) can’t be trusted, and not so much because of the “safety in numbers” factor.

One thing seems clear: groups are powerful and can change our behavior as individuals.  We may not even be aware of this when it happens, because it can happen so naturally.

The next time you are in a group situation, observe the people in the group and you’ll probably notice some of these behaviors at work.

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Leave a Comment » | Groups, membership, teamwork | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Lisa Pecunia

Teamwork, Courtesy of the Tour de France

July 29, 2009

So another Tour de France is in the books, but this year’s tour was more than just another year of “the Tour.”  It was a month-long drama of speed, suffering, strategy and most of all teamwork.  Watching the tour as a non-cyclist (I get out once a month on my cruiser bike and ride around my neighborhood), the strategy and tactics of the teams’ communications and level of teamwork are easily missed.  But without them the whole sport might seem like the razor-thin ultra-light equivalent of a monster truck rally.

Several incredible stories were told this year, but the main one was the return of Lance Armstrong, the highly-experienced, cancer-surviving seven-time winner of the Tour who came back to the event after a four-year hiatus.  We also saw the emergence of a new young star, Alberto Contador. Contador won the 2007 Tour but was banned from the race in 2008 because team Astana was involved in the now-infamous blood-doping fiasco during the closing days of the ’07 tour.

The big question a month ago was “how will 37-year old, seven-time winner of the world’s most difficult endurance race Armstrong, fare against this 26-year old upstart from a small town outside of Madrid, Spain?”  Unbelievably, Armstrong and Contador both found themselves on the same team (Team Astana) but each with their own goal of winning the tour.

The typical cycling team is made up of one lead rider (the Captain), a sprinter, and seven or so other riders who’s sole purpose is to support the leader.  Team Astana had two strong leaders this year, and the tactic seemed to be that Contador and Armstrong would both start out as co-leaders, and somehow “duke it out” until it became clear who was the stronger rider and more likely to win.  The stronger rider would then become the de facto lead rider, and the other would support him.

Contador proved to be the stronger rider and the best possibility for beating the ultra-strong Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, who hail from Luxembourg and have cycling in their blood — their father Johnny rode in the Tour de France in the 60′s and 70′s and their grandfather Gustav raced in the 30′s.  As the torch passed from Armstrong to Contador, it became clear that Contador’s victory depended largely on Armstrong’s ability to control the older and more experienced Schleck brother, Frank.

In the end, Contador proved himself as the rightful winner of the Tour, while Andy Schleck placed second, and Lance Armstrong stood on the podium in 3rd place. Contador enters the books as the fifth racer in history and the first Spaniard to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling, the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia.

At Grouvia, we’re striving to make it easier for teams of all kinds to more effectively communicate with each other.  Those of us with a passion for our sport or hobby know that we will always have richer experiences when we share our spirit with our community.  The elders teach the youngsters, the king hands over his crown, and the cycle continues.

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Leave a Comment » | teamwork | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Lisa Pecunia