1 Psychology and human development1.10 Social psychology
1.10.3.1 Group structure and analytic models
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Written by Resident Doctor Committee · Published
New in the 2027 syllabus
The College added this topic for exams from January 2027.
How groups form and organise
When a group forms, its members develop shared goals, expectations and boundaries. These mark out who belongs and who does not.
Roles set the behaviour expected of each member.
Status decides how much influence each member has.
Norms define what the group accepts.
Cohesion, the sense of members holding together, can help them cooperate. It does not guarantee accurate decisions or tolerance of dissent.
Bion: the work group and basic assumptions
Bion's work group stays in touch with reality and gets on with its task. Basic-assumption activity defends against anxiety by pulling the group away from its task.
Basic assumption | Shared expectation |
|---|---|
Dependency | A leader will provide security and think for everyone |
Fight-flight | The group must attack or escape a perceived enemy |
Pairing | An alliance will produce a future solution that rescues the group |
Foulkes: the group matrix
Foulkes's matrix is the network of communication and relationships within a group. Meanings emerge through this network.
Telling them apart
Bion stressed the shared defensive assumptions a group falls into. Foulkes stressed communication across the group network.