“Group Behavior” refers to the ways people behave in large or small group situations. People join groups for a multitude of reasons, most frequently because membership satisfies a need of the individual. Group membership can provide companionship, survival and security, affiliation status, power and control, and achievement. There is currently no universal description of what constitutes a group, though research has identified a few common requirements that contribute to the recognition of a group:
- Interdependence:
Individual members must depend, to some degree, on the output of the collective members.
- Social interaction:
Accomplishing a goal requires some form of verbal or nonverbal communication among members.
- Perception of a group:
All members of the collective must agree they are part of the group.
- The commonality of purpose:
All members of the collective come together to attain a common goal.
- Favoritism:
Members of the same group tend to be positively prejudiced toward other members and discriminate in their favor.
