Groups affect our thoughts and behaviors on a daily basis. In this course we discuss several group effects: social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, conformity, the bystander effect, group polarization, and groupthink.

This module examines how the behavior of individuals changes in groups through the processes of social facilitation, social loafing, and deindividuation. You will learn about the conditions and consequences of these processes, and how your own behavior may be a result of these group influences.

This module will explore conformity, a phenomenon that can occur when people seek to fulfill their need for affiliation by joining groups, and the bystander effect, a phenomenon in which people in groups fail to offer needed help in emergencies.

Group polarization and groupthink are two potential pitfalls of group decision making. Group polarization is the tendency for members of a group discussing an issue to move toward a more extreme version of the position they held before the discussion began. Groupthink occurs when the desire to maintain group cohesiveness causes group members to exert pressure on other group members to reach an agreement, without critically evaluating the quality of the decision.

Groups can influence us in major and minor ways. In this module, we examined the effects groups can have on our thoughts and behaviors. The effects can be positive or negative. And the effects can be on events that happen on a daily basis or just once in a lifetime.

This module contains a cumulative quiz.

This module contains a glossary, course references, and a list of contributors to the course.

This module provides a variety of information and tools from the American Psychological Association (APA) that will help inspire you as you complete your coursework and plan your career goals. Explore APA resources on various psychological issues and scholarly research and writing; a list of sites providing valuable resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion in psychology education and in the professional community; resources on a career in psychology; and links to career opportunities at the APA.