Theories - Chapter 2

Theories - Chapter 2

1. Nature

   • helps make sense of the process involved when people interact with others in a group

2. 2 Funtions

   • Explanatory
     • theories must suggest ways in which participants can make group discussion more efficient/rewarding
   • Predictive
     • understanding process leads toward ways of improving the process

3. Relevance

   • helps make sense of others due to complexity that comes with larger groups

4. 5 Theories

   • Systems Theory
     • openness to enviroment
     • interdependence
     • input/output/process variables
     • synergy
     • entropy - measure of randomness/chaos
     • equifinality - final state can be reached by many paths
   • Social Exchange
     • relationships can be described in terms of their rewards/costs, profits/losses
       • profit = reward - cost
         • reward > cost = attractive relationship
   • Symbolic Convergence
     • group conscience evolves as group members share group fantasies/stories
       • fantasy - creative/imaginative shared interpretation of events that fulfills a group's need to make sense of its experience to anticipate its future
         • fantasy theme - common/related content of the stories group tells
           • fantasy chain - string of connected stories revolving around a common theme
   • Structuration
     • provides general frameworks that explains how people structure their groups by making active use of rules/resourses
       • focuses on behavior
   • Functional
     • effect/consequence of a given behavior within a group system
       • members attempt to satisfy task requirements
       • members use com to overcome constraints such as stress from deadlines, interpersonal conflict, etc
       • members take time to review the process through they arrives at choices/reconsider

5. Model of small group communication

   • systems approach to group com. through variables
     • communication
     • leadership
     • goals
     • norms