NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Psychology Chapter 7 Social Influence and group processes

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 12th

aglase .co

Book Name : Psychology Ncert Solutions | Chapter-7 Psychology

Class : 12th
Subject : Psychology
Chapter : 7
Chapter Name : Social Influence and group processes

Q1 Compare and contrast formal and informal groups, and ingroups and outgroups.

Answer. The formal and informal groups have the following differences between them -

Basis Formal groups Informal groups

Stating of functions Functions are explicitly stated Functions are not stated
in this group. explicitly.

Role of members Members have a well defined The role of members isn't
role and they have to perform rigidly defined and they can
well stated functions. choose their own area of
interest.

Chain of command Chain of command is The members can interact
followed in this system. with each other without
following the chain of
command.

Basis In group Outgroup

Meaning It is the group in which the It is a group of which the
person is a member and is person isn't a member and is
considered as the 'me', 'my', generally considered as a
'we or our' group. 'they' group.

Similarity The members of this group The people of this group are
are generally similar to each quite different from each
other in terms of interests and other in terms of beliefs and
traits. traits.

Perceptions It is always good, strong, It is always bad, dirty,
cohesive, kind hearted, open damaging, dangerous and
and relaxing for the has people with negative
members. emotions.

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Q2 Are you a member of a certain group? Discuss what motivated you to join that group.

Answer. Yes, I am a member of several groups. We are social beings and we all have an urge
to stay connected with our society and with the people around us. The reasons which motivated
me to be a member of the groups are -
1. Security - The groups I am a part of provide me a sense of security, comfort and
protection.
2. Status - The group in which I am a member provides me with a sense of power as they
are high- profiled and well known in society.
3. Self esteem - My group is a prestigious group which gives me the sense of self - esteem.
4. Satisfactory of psychological and social needs - This group helps me in satisfying my
social and psychological needs like feeling a sense of belongingness, love and power.

Q3 How does Tuckman’s stage model help you to understand the formation of groups?
Answer. According to Tuckman, group formation takes place in five stages. These are explained
below -
1. Forming stage - When the group members meet for the first time, then they are uncertain
about the group they would be forming and the goals to be achieved by the group.
2. Storming stage - This stage deals with the inter- group conflicts. It means that the
members have a conflict amongst themselves regarding the tasks to be performed by
them and the method of achieving goals of the group.
3. Norming stage - It is the stage at which the members develop norms for the group. They
are the unwritten set of rules which the group members are supposed to follow. This
leads to developing the group identity positively.
4. Performing stage - At this stage, the group is well-structured and the members come to
know about their duties. Thus they now target to achieve group goals.

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5. Adjourning stage - When this stage begins, the members have achieved the goals of the
group and thus the group is disbanded.

Q4 How do groups influence our behaviour?
Answer. The groups help in influencing our behaviour to a large extent. It is done broadly in
three forms -
1. Social facilitation - It refers to the concept that performance of a person depends upon
the presence of others. It was observed by Norman Triplett that people perform better in
front of others as compared to when they are alone.
2. Social loafing - It refers to the reduction in motivation when people are functioning
collectively. It is so because people know that their performance is affected by the
overall performance of the group and they will not be evaluated individually. Thus they
feel less responsible for their work.
3. Group polarisation - It is the form of group influence which refers to the strengthening of
the group's initial position as a result of the interaction and discussion. It is observed that
the groups can take more extreme decisions than the individual alone can take.

Q5 How can you reduce social loafing in groups? Think of any two incidents of social loafing in
school. How did you overcome it?
Answer. Social loafing is a negative group influence which occurs due to the diffusion of
responsibility in the group. If the performance of every member is to be improved, then social
loafing must be reduced. It can be done by following methods -
● The efforts of each and every member should be given due recognition and
identification.
● Each and every member should be motivated to work hard to achieve group objectives.
They must be made committed to good performance.
● The apparent value of the task can also be increased so that the members may work
with more sincerity.
● Members should feel that their contribution is important for the group.

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● Group cohesiveness should be strengthened.

Q6 How often do you show conformity in your behaviour? What are the determinants of
conformity?

Answer. Conformity in behavior means behaving according to the group norm, i.e. behaving as
per the expectations of the group members. I usually show conformity in my behavior. For
example, when I am in a meeting, then I switch off my phone, even if I have to receive an
important call.
The following are the determinants of conformity -
1. Size of the group - When the size of the group is small, then the members who don't
confirm will be noticed quickly and thus conformity is more in the small groups as
compared to the large groups.
2. Size of minority - When the number of dissenting members who don’t conform to the
group norms increases, then the conformity in the group starts falling. In fact the people
start dissenting with the norms of the group.
3. Nature of the task - In case there is a task whose exact answer cannot be determined
and the answer may or may not be correct. Thus in this case, the conformity would be
less.
4. Public or private expression of behaviour - In case the members have to give their
opinion publicly, then they show more conformity as compared to the situations when
they can give their opinions privately.
5. Personality - Some people have a tendency to change their opinion based on what
others say or do in most situations. Thus they have a conforming personality.

Q7 Why do people obey even when they know that their behaviour may be harming others?
Explain.

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Answer. People obey even when they know that their behaviour may be harming others
because if they will disobey, some punishment might be given to them. Sometimes it may
happen that we feel the need to obey the person having higher authority. Some otter reasons
can be as follows -
● When they aren't responsible for their conduct and they simply have to carry out the
orders of others.
● If a person having higher authority orders us then we cannot refuse him because of his
status.
● Authority generally increases commands from lesser to greater levels and initial
obedience binds the followers for commitment.
● Sometimes things move at a fast pace and the person has no choice except to obey.

Q8 What are the benefits of cooperation?

Answer. Cooperation refers to the process when groups work together to achieve shared goals.
In this case, the rewards are given to the group and not to an individual. The cooperation is very
beneficial for the following reasons -
● When the people work in cooperation, then they share the workload and thus each
person has to work less.
● Each person can achieve goals only when others achieve goals.
● The people are more coordinated and they are more likely to accept each others' ideas.
● Members are more friendly and they support each other in their efforts.
● The members are more engaged in communication, interaction and discussions.

Q9 How is one’s identity formed?

Answer. The identity of a person of what he/she is may include both his/her personal attributes
as well as the characteristics of his/ her behaviour which he/she shares with others. For

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example, your gender, your age etc. Determines your attributes for people while for yourself,
you may be hardworking, introvert or extrovert etc.
Your self identity is formed when you act uniquely in your own way and unique from others. You
must possess qualities which no one else has. For social identity, you should have qualities
which your group demands from you i.e. you must confirm to the group norms.
Some of our self identify are derived by our physical characteristics like our age, height, body
features etc. while others are derived from the society in which we live and the people with
whom we interact. Sometimes we may behave in the unique way in which we display those
qualities which are unique from others. Other times, we may behave in the way our group
behaves. For example, in an interview, we would like to show that we are unique and best.
However, for participating in an international conference where we have to represent our nation,
we would like to show ourselves as an Indian.

Q10 What are some of the causes of intergroup conflict? Think of any international conflict.
Reflect on the human price of this conflict.

Answer. Some of the reasons of the intergroup conflicts are as follows -
1. Lack of communication and faulty communication by both parties - Sometimes it may
happen that the group members don't interact with each other or they may communicate
wrong information or communicate in wrong manner. This may lead to mistrust and
conflicts.
2. Relative deprivation - Sometimes it may happen that the group members may compare
themselves with the other members of the group and may feel that they are less
important than others.
3. Feeling of superiority - It may also happen that the group members feel that they are
superior than others. Thus they will keep themselves at a higher position and will make
others feel lower than themselves. This will give rise to conflicts.
4. Biased perceptions - The feelings of 'They' and 'We' are the major reason for biased
perceptions and it gives rise to most of the conflicts.
5. Retaliation - Desire for retaliation for some harm done in the past may also give rise to
conflicts in the group.

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