The Psychology of Group Processes

Research trends in the psychology of group dynamics over the past thirty years are reviewed. The initial concern in the field with strengthening democratic processes promoted a "social movement" consciousness among researchers & oriented them toward practical problem solving in group situations; however, many initial topics drawn from this approach were later neglected, while other issues (eg, dynamics & causes of participation, expulsion, & goal-setting) have never been studied. Concerns prominent in recent literature are then outlined, including group deliberation & decision making, deindividuation, dynamics of group cohesion, cooperative/competitive effects, leadership structure, & the influence of group size & density on internal process. The greater interest in theory among current researchers is discussed in terms of both the practical & financial barriers to empirical group study, as well as the tendency to focus on individuals in group settings rather than group behavior as such. 1 Table, 120 References. L. Whittemore.