• 'Social facilitation' is a form of group influence.

• 'Social facilitation' refers to a concept that performance on specific task is influenced by the mere presence of others.

• Norman Triplett observed that individuals show better performance in presence of others, than when they are performing the same task alone.

Better performance in presence of others is because the person experiences arousal, which makes the person react in a more intense manner.

The arousal is because the person feels he or she is being evaluated. Cottrell called this idea evaluation apprehension. The person will be praised if performance is good (reward), he/she will be criticised if it is bad (punishment). We wish to get praise and avoid criticism, therefore we try to perform well and avoid criticism. As in case of complex task, the person may be afraid of making mistakes. And the fear of criticism or punishment is stronger.

If the others present are also performing same task, this is called a situation of co-action. When task is simple or a familiar one, performance is better under co-action than when the person is alone.

Task performing can be facilitated and improved or inhibited and worsened by the presence of others. If we are working together in a larger group, the less effort each member puts in. This phenomena is called social loafing, based on diffusion of responsibility.

Diffusion of responsibility can also be frequently seen in situations where people are expected to help.

• 'Social loafing' refers to reduction in motivation when people are functioning collectively.

• It is a form of group influence.

(i) Group members feel less responsible for the overall tasks being performed and therefore exert less effort.

(ii) Motivation of members may decrease because they realize that their contributions cannot be evaluated on the individual basis, so to why to work hard.

(iii) The performance of the group is not to be compared with that of the other groups.

(iv) There is improper co-ordination (or no co-ordination) among members. Group polarization is a group influence which refers to the tendency.

The tendency of group-members, as a result of group discussion to shift towards more extreme positions than those which they initially held.

In group polarization, it has been found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals alone, e.g., a decision is to be taken whether a school has to be established in a village or not. Group polarization occurs due to the following:

(i) In the company of like-minded people, people are likely to hear newer arguments favouring their view-points.

(ii) When people find others also favouring their view-point, they feel that their view is validated by the public. This is a sort of bandwagon effect.

(iii) When people find others having similar views, they are likely to perceive them as in-group.

According to Tuckman, group formation takes place in following stages:

(i) Forming Stage: When group-members first meet, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the group, the goal, and how it is to be achieved.

(ii) Storming: There is a stage of intergroup conflict. There is conflict among members about how the target of the group is to be achieved, who is to control the group and its resources, and who is to perform what task.

(iii) Norming: Group-members by this time develop norms related to group behaviour. This leads to development of a positive group identity.

(iv) Performing: At this stage, the structure of the group has evolved and is accepted by group-members. The group moves towards achieving the group goal.

(v) Adjourning Stage: In this stage, once the function is over or goal is achieved, the group may be disbanded.

These stages help in group formation. Which occurs on the basis of following factors:

(i) Proximity: Individuals with similar background, living in the same complex (e.g., going to the same school) may form groups on the basis of proximity.

(ii) Similarity: It has been observed that more the similarity in the attitudes, interest, beliefs and value system of two persons, greater the likelihood that they would form a group.

(iii) Common Motives and Goals: When a number of people have common objectives or goals, they tend to get together and form a group.

Definitely I am member of various groups. In other words, I will say that there is no dimension of life where I am not related to a group because we all are social beings and for everything, we are dependent on this or that group. There are various reasons which motivate me and everybody to join a group. Some of them are as follows:

(i) Security: Groups reduce the feeling of insecurity. Being with people gives a sense of comfort and protection.

(ii) Status: When the group is perceived as important high profile and well known, then the members also feel recognized and 'experience a sense of power', e.g., being a student of high profile school.

(iii) Self-esteem: Being a member of a prestigious group enhances the individual's self-concept.

(iv) Satisfaction of one's Psychological and Social Needs: Groups satisfy one's social and psychological needs such as sense of belongingness, giving and receiving attention, love and power.

(v) Group Achievement: Groups help in achieving the goals which cannot be attained individually.

(vi) Provide Knowledge and Information: Group membership provides us knowledge and information and broadens our views.

Formal Groups:

(i) The functions of a formal group are explicitly stated, as in an office organization, or social work club.

(ii) They have rigidly stated functions and the roles of the members are well-defined or imposed.

(iii) Formal groups have a chain of command for decision-making, e.g., military or bureaucracy.

Informal Groups:

(i) Informal decision-making process may exist as parallel mechanisms.

(ii) Members of informal groups usually feel more comfortable to take decision in informal settings, e.g., tea time group or lunch group.

(iii) There are no elicit rules and regulations for informal group.

In-group:

(i) It is generally considered as 'me, my, we, or our' group.

(ii) People in in-group are viewed as having desirable behaviour and admirable traits.

(iii) It is always good, strong, cohesive, kind-hearted, open, relaxing and cool.

Out-group:

(i) It is considered as 'they' group.

(ii) Members are often perceived negatively.

(iii) It is always bad, dirty, damaging, dangerous and has people with negative emotions.

Social loading is a negative group influence. For the quality performance of the group, it should be reduced. It can be reduced through the following methods:

(i) By making the efforts of each person identifiable.

(ii) increasing the pressure to work hard (making group-members committed to successful tasks performance).

(iii) increasing the apparent importance or value of a task.

(iv) making people feel that their individual contribution is important.

(v) strengthening group cohesiveness which increases the motivation for successful group outcome.