Two or more people who are recognised by themselves or others as a group and have a sense of us compared to them .

Turner- us vs. them

1. FORMATION: developping of roles. Avoidance of conflict and controversy.

STORMING: Conflict (may be avoided to maintain harmony). Addresing issues.

NORMING: conflict has finished- understanding. Listening, support and flexibility. Common sense of identity and purpose.

PERFORMING: good group relations. Interdepence. Task orientation.

ADJOURNING: when task has been completed, group disengages.

Depends on: mutual support, consistent behaviour.

FESTINGER et al.

Detterminants: attractiveness (of group and members).

How much group satisfies indivdual needs.

Uniformities of behaviour and attitudes that determine, organise and differentiate groups.

Regulate and guide behaviour.

Provide frame of reference- can change attitudes and behaviour.

Shared expectations of how people should behave in a group.

-Division of labour -Expectations -Provide information

HOWEVER: can make people lose morals.

Illegitemate/ arbitrary

Some roles are more valued that others

Legitimised to reduce cognitive dissociation

Social Creativity: to compensate

Marginal group members- too different to prototype.

Liked less- threaten image of group (therefore self-esteem)

HOWEVER: Intergroup Sensitivity Effect: more likely to accept criticism from ingroup.

-Interdepence: Achieve better in groups than individually.

-Support: by grouping with people with similar attitudes.

-Terror management: structure to confront the inevitability of death.

-Need for social identity: group part of self-image, self-esteem.

-Optimal distinctiveness: group provides balance between uniquesness and affiliation.

*Ostracism and social exclusion- lowers self-esteem, feel sad, angry, distressed.