Your assignment is to write a story about a hypothetical group and its development through the four phases. As an option, you can use a personal experience from your own life.

Write a brief definition of each phase of group development and describe how your group proceeded through each phase.

Be sure to explain how the task and social dimensions of the group affected its development throughout each phase.

Four Phases of development:

First and foremost, the stronger the cohesiveness in the group, the greater is the conformity to group norms. The relationship between cohesiveness and conformity is hardly surprising. Cohesiveness, by definition, is the degree of attraction we have to a group and our desire to be a member. If there is minimal attraction to the group and nebulous desire to be a member, then there is scant reason to adhere to the rules of behavior. A group has little leverage against apathetic or scornful members. Conversely, individuals who are strongly attracted to the group and wish to remain members in good standing are much more likely to conform and to bow to peer pressure for uniformity of opinion and behavior.

Second, conformity increases as the task importance increases. When accurately performing the group task assumes great importance, we tend to conform even when other group members confess to a general lack of confidence in the accuracy of their own judgments.

Third, conformity is greater when individuals expect to be group members for a long time. After all, you must live with this group. Why make your life unpleasant by not conforming, particularly in job situations in which economic considerations may make job switching impractical?

Fourth, conformity is greater when individuals perceive that they have somewhat lower status in the group than other members or that they are not completely accepted by the group. Higher- status members have earned the right to dissent, but lower- status members must still earn that right to occasional nonconformity. Lower-status members also feel a greater need to prove themselves to the group, to show fealty.