Author Question: You will be working with a group of students on a class project soon, and your instructor lets you ... (Read 268 times)

cherise1989 · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

You will be working with a group of students on a class project soon, and your instructor lets you choose whom you would want in your group.

Based on the established gender and cultural differences in terms of social loafing, whom would you most want in your group, and why?
What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Imagine you're giving advice about the first year to a group of first-year college students. Give them at least three reasons that people join groups, based on information in this chapter.

What will be an ideal response?

jojobee318 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: A good group would include women and students from collectivist cultures (Asia, South America). This is because women tend to have a more relational sense of interdependence, and are more likely to focus on what will benefit the group than men. People from collectivistic cultures also tend to behave in ways that benefit groups they belong to, which in turn makes them less likely to loaf. Note that if students say, Asian women or women from collectivist cultures, this can be considered incorrect without the proper rationale. The effects of gender and culture are not additive. That is, women from collectivist cultures are not necessarily less likely to loaf than women from individualist cultures.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: Any of the following: (1) Groups fulfill basic human needs. (2) Groups gave our ancestors survival advantages. (3) Groups help us to get a sense of belonging along with establishing distinction from others. (4) Groups help define who we are. (5) Groups provide us norms for our behavior.