Class dates 1/31 and 2/2

Class dates 1/31 and 2/2

This week we continued working on our presentations and watched a movie about Tuckman's Five stages of group development. I liked working with my group and after some technical difficulties I was able to finish our presentation five minutes after we finished class.  Based upon the assertions in the reading "The Secret to Smart Groups", I think that the group with the most women is most likely to be the best out of all the presentations.

The Secret to Smart Groups  written by Derek Thompson asserts that the overall intelligence of groups is not conducive to "smart groups". Instead, he states that amount of women in the group, "distribution of conversational turn taking", and social sensitivity of group members is what makes a group smart. It also stated that the higher the group member's RME scores were, the better their teams performed. To explain, RME score were based upon how well the participant was able to read complex emotions. Emotional intelligence is proven to trump IQ if the problem requires deep collaboration.

Warning: The below portion of this post may contain spoilers about the show Breaking Bad. If you haven't seen it and are interested in learning more about it, you can find more information here.


Group Dynamics by David Forsyth compiles research, empirical studies, and case studies to better understand groups.  A group is defined by David Forsyth as "two or more individuals who are connected to one another by social relationships." The size of groups can range from two to thousands of members. The average size of formal and informal groups are approximately the same, at 2.4 vs. 2.3, respectively. As groups increase in size, they become more formal. The quote that best helped me understand the nuances between planned and emergent groups is: " People found planned groups, but they often find emergent groups." A really helpful resource for further understanding important terms in this text is here.

Below are examples of main types of groups from one of my favorite TV shows, Breaking Bad:

• Concocted groups emerge when an external authority figure puts together a group to work together. 

The partnership of Gomez and Schrader are an example of a concocted group because they were paired up by their boss. They work together to achieve their common goal of eradicating drug related crime.

•  Founded groups are created by at least one member that remains within the group. 

Jesse and Walter's working relationship began organically when Walt approached Jesse and asked to work together. They are founding members of their group.

• Circumstantial groups are unplanned groups that occur when people around each other (often temporarily) form a group. 

Jesse and Jane's relationship began purely out of circumstance. They knew each other because he responded to a craigslist ad for an apartment. They shared common hobbies that led to them spending large amounts of time together and forming a relationship.

• Self-organizing groups begin when people have similar goals and adjust to other members within the group. Groups of friends hanging out together or drivers all leaving together are examples of this type of group. 

Combo, Skinny Pete, Badger, and Jesse spend time together because they have similar interests and enjoy each others company. They are a self-organizing group because they not only spend time together for social reasons but for business reasons. They all work together towards the common group of meeting their sales goals and loss prevention

•  Intimacy groups are small in size and are characterized by substantial amounts of interaction between members. They are typically "moderate in duration". 

Walter pictured with most of his immediate family. This group is an example of an intimacy group because the group is small and they frequently interact with one another. While Walt and his wife does not possess as long-standing of a bond that his wife has with her sister, they are still close. 

• Primary groups (such as family and friends) are intimate groups characterized by member identification and cohesion. 

Marie and Skylar's close relationship is an example of a primary group because it is small, long-term, and they get along very well. Membership and solidarity is important to the both of them. 

•  Task groups are goal focused groups often in employment settings. 

Gale and Walt meet while at work after being grouped together by their employer to accomplish an important task. They bond over their shared skill set and interests. 

• Weak associations are groups of people that have weak and transitory connections with one another. Examples include people waiting at a bus stop together, classmates in the same class, or living in the same neighborhood.

Walter White is conducting a chemistry demonstration to his students. The classmates exhibit weak social relationships with one another during the show. 

• Social categories are essentially groups of people who all fall under the same vast category (gender, nationality, job title) who have loose associations with one another. 

Pictured above is a group of men in Breaking Bad. This grouping is simply based upon gender, which falls into a social grouping category.