Student Web Activites

Chapter 19: Group Interaction

"Types of Groups"

Introduction
You learned in this chapter that groups are formed by a collection of people who interact, share common goals, and influence how members think and act. Research and experiments by Milgram, Zombardo, and Asch have helped psychologists understand the formation of groups today. Groups are unified by the attitudes and standards members share and by their commitment to those beliefs. There are many different kinds of groups and ways that these groups form. Discover the different types of groups, examples, and how to help change group behavior by reading through these Web sites and completing the activity below.

Web sites
Theories about Groups
Explore how different groups behave by visiting this Web site.

Groupthink
Find out more information on groupthink and how to prevent it.

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Activity
Imagine that some day you will have a child. Write a letter of advice for that child to open when he or she reaches the age you are right now. Tell the child about the way kids in your school or other groups treated each other at this age, and how you hope he/she will treat people. Mention any changes you might make to alter your situation.