Department of Psychology

NU FLEX LEARNING

Introduction to Group Dynamics

Prepared by: Ms. Nora Almira I. Agpasa
INSIDE THIS MODULE:
MODULE 4: WORKING IN GROUPS
I. Pre-Test Activity 1

II. Learning Outcomes 2 In achieving goals in groups, one thing to

III. Content: 2 consider is how groups work together
IV. Activity 5
especially in making decisions. Since it is
V. Evaluation/Assessment 8
composed of individuals with different
VI. Other Reading/Video Materials 8
minds sometimes it can be an advantage
VII. References 9

or disadvantage in making a decision for

the larger group. This module could help

us in knowing the proper steps in solving

a problem and arrived to a better Annie Spratt

decision making for the group.

I. Pre-test / Activity:

Title: What is inside the Box? (Virtual Icebreaker)

Instructions:
There will be 5 people from the class to be assigned to put 2 things
inside their boxes, the class will be a team to decide what’s inside the boxes.
Each boxes contains two items with assigned points to each item per box such
as the first box is 10 pts each, next will 20 pts, 30 pts 40pts and 50 points
each.

The class will be divided into two groups. Before they decide to guess the item
inside the box, they have to talk first and decide what is inside the boxes. For
the first three boxes, there will be categories for each box so the team can
have a clue. For box 4 and 5 clue is eliminated. For every correct guess, they
will have points and for every wrong guess, they will gain a deduction of plus
five from the original points.
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For example if they have a correct point of 10 pts they will have ten, but if they
guessed it wrong they will have less 10 plus 5 equals to 15pts deduction from
their total scores.

For the group to show they agree or disagree about their guessed answer
everyone will have either thumbs up or thumbs down.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able:

1. Discuss correctly the major ideas in Group Decission Making John Schnobrich

2. Conducts group processing

3. Performs with confidence facilitative technique in groups
4. Discuss the problem solving and decision making process in group
dynamics
5. Identify the differences between group and team

III. Content: Lecture Notes

Group Decision
Implies that some agreement prevails among group members as
to which several courses of action is most desirable for achieving
group’s goal

5 Major Characteristics Of An Effective Group Decision:

 Resources of group members are fully utilized.

 Time is well spent
 Decision is correct or of high quality
 Decision is implemented by all required group members
The problem solving ability of the group is enhanced or at least
not lessened.
 MODULE 4 - WORKING IN GROUPS Page 3

Involvement in decision making

There are two reasons for involving all group members in the group’s
decision making;
 increase the quality of the decision by fully utilizing the resources of
all members
 increase the member’s commitment to implement the decision.

Methods of Decision Making:

1. Decision By Authority Without Group Discussion
the designated leader makes all the decisions without consulting the group
members in any way.
2. Decision By Authority After Group Discussion Group decisions are
made by letting the most expert member on the group decide what the
group should do. Most of the time, personal popularity and amount of
power a person has over the group members interfere with the selection
of the most expert member.

This method consists of separately asking each group member his or her
opinion and then averaging the results.

Minorities Can Make the Group’s Decision in Several Ways:

a. Legitimate method – acts as temporary committee that considers
special problems and decides what action the group should take.
b. Illegitimate method – rail roading

3. Decision By Consensus
the most effective method in decision making, it is sometimes called the
synergic decision because group members working together arrive at a
decision of higher quality than the decision they would obtain if each
one worked separately.
 MODULE 4 - WORKING IN GROUPS Page 4

Consensus means a collective opinion is arrived at by a group of individuals

working together under conditions that permit communications to be
sufficiently open. The group climate should be sufficiently supportive for
everyone in the group to feel that he and she had a fair chance to
influence the decision.
John Schnobrich

FACTORS ENHANCING GROUP DECISION MAKING

 POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE
 FACE TO FACE PROMOTIVE INTERACTION
 INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
 SOCIAL SKILLS
 GROUP PROCESSING

FACTORS HINDERING GROUP DECISION MAKING

 LACK OF GROUP MATURITY
 GIVING ONE'S DOMINANT RESPONSE UNCRITICALLY
 SOCIAL LOAFING—HIDING IN THE CROWD
 FREE RIDING: GETTING SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
 CONFLICTING GOALS OF GROUP MEMBERS
 EGOCENTRISM OF GROUP MEMBERS
 INAPPROPRIATE GROUP SIZE

Decision making occurs within context of problem solving. In order to

consider the steps to making considered and thoughtful decisions, here is
the whole PROBLEM SOLVING PROCEDURE:

1. identifying and defining the problem or issue

2. gathering information about the existence of the problem
3. formulating and considering alternative solutions
4. deciding on solution
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5. presenting the recommendation to the organization

6. evaluating extent and success of implementation

To evaluate the success of the solution of the group has decided to implement,
members must determine:
- Whether the solution was successfully implemented and what the effects are
- Evaluation should result in a new definition of a problem, a rediagnosis of the
situation, and the initiation of a new problem-solving sequence.

IV. Activity: Problem Solving & Decision Making

Activity –Problem Solving – Rocket Ship

Objectives:
1. To be able to identify the relationship of Problem solving and decision making John Schnobrich

2. To be able to understand the process of problem solving and steps in decision

making especially when you work in groups.
3. To apply the steps of decision-making steps in solving a problem.

Instructions: A Hypothetical story will be presented in the group about a rocket ship
to leave the earth. To begin, The earth is about to reach its end, and there’ only one
rocket ship available to go to the next planet that is human and eco friendly wherein
they can start a new civilization. There were 20 survivors, but the rocket ship can only
accommodate 12 passengers to safely arrive at the new planet. The concern of the
group who among the survivors would be able to ride the rocket ship that has
justifiable role importance. Please put a check mark if you think the role is important
and should be included as one of the passengers to go to the new planet or an x
mark if you think can be let on earth. Please justify why you placed the marks.
Below are the description of the different roles of the survivors:
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# Roles Mark ( / or X) Reason:

1 President

2 Priest

3 Pregnant Lady

4 3 year old child

5 Deaf 20 year old

6 Doctor

7 Businessman

8 Police

9 Lawyer

10 Teacher

11 A Teenager
John Schnobrich
12 Blind masseur

13 Celebrity

14 Pilot

15 An 80 year old lady

16 Engineer

17 Nurse

18 A computer whiz

19 A Person with
disability-

20 An 18 year old
person with Down
syndrome.
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MODULE 4 - WORKING IN GROUPS

VI. Evaluation / Assessment – Take Home Film

Analysis
QUIZ/ OR CREATE TIPS/ STRATEGIES IN MAKING
DECISION

John Schnobrich

V. Other Reading/Video Materials

Group Decision Making
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIfoIkJzlxU

How can groups make good decisions? | Mariano Sigman and

Dan Ariely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrRRvqgYgT0

Figure It Out - The Art of Problem Solving | Shreyans Jain |

TEDxDSCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_LX9mo0Thw
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VII. References

Forsyth, D.R. (2014 ). Understanding group dynamics . Australia : Cengage

Learning.

Newstorm ,John & Edward Scannell (2005) The Big Book of team Building
games, U.S.A; Mc Graw Hill

John Schnobrich