1 - II. What Are Group Dynamics
1 - II. What Are Group Dynamics
1 - II. What Are Group Dynamics
• Not only how members relate and engage with one another, but
also determine the group’s inherent nature and trajectory;
o The actions the group takes, how it responds to its
environment, and what it achieves.
Group tend to become more cohesive over time.
Larger groups often break down into smaller sub
groups.
Group Processes
Group Dynamics
An individual does not live only within herself, within her own life
space. She is also in constant interaction with the external environment. A
major component of this external environment is other individuals and
groups of individuals, all with their own life spaces.
Objective/Subjective Reality
Environment consists of the objective reality that surrounds a person. If it
does not evoke a response from the person, it is an objective environment.
When the objective environment evoke a response from the person this
becomes a subjective reality or psychological environment.
What is Group Dynamics?
Group Dynamics is the interaction of the forces or energies of the
environment called process elements at any given point of time, which
actively influence the individual, the group, and the situation.
Elements of Group Dynamics
Elements of Group Dynamics
LIFE SPACE
is composed of the three major
regions: home life, professional
life, and social life.
It is in constant and dynamic interaction with one
another.
Life space is also called as the field which becomes
a part of one’s subjective reality
To understand a person fully,
one must observe how she
manifests her beliefs, values, and
attitudes in dynamic interaction
with her environment.
Elements of Group Dynamics
Tension System
The continuing interaction within a
person as she operates in her life space
and her dynamic interaction with her
environment.
This play a central role in the Field
Theory.
Elements of Group Dynamics
A person is said to be in a state of
tension within herself if an unsatisfied
need or unfulfilled intention exists.
Any element within the psychological
environment that relieves the tension
is called an Object.
Elements of Group Dynamics
An Object can be a:
- Goal
- Activity
- concrete object
Elements of Group Dynamics
Valence
Degree of attractiveness to an object
2 Types:
1. Positive Valence - effects approach
behavior
2. Negative Valence – elicits avoidance
behavior
Steps in Learning Cycles
Steps in the Learning Cycle
1. Orientation – the facilitator sets the
mood and eases the participants
into the activity. The activity is
contextualized within the learning
objectives or linked to the conceptual
framework of the total program.
2. Instructions – the faci prepares the
instruction and sees to it that they
are clearly heard, understood, and
carried out by the participants.
Steps in the Learning Cycle
3. Experiencing – doing or
experiencing the experiential
learning. Activities can be
carried out by individuals, dyads,
triads, small groups, group
arrangements or large groups.
The learning objectives will
dictate both the activity and the
appropriate groupings.
Steps in the Learning Cycle
Processing – composed of data gathering,
analysis, synthesis, generalizing,
integration and closing.
4. Data Gathering and Analysis – participants
share what they saw and how they felt
during the event. Finding out what
happened at both cognitive and affective
levels, and making this available to the
other participants through verbal sharing.
Steps in the Learning Cycle
5. Synthesis/Generalizing – the results of
the data analysis are synthesized or put
together so that the generalizations can
be made about the relevance of the
activity.
6. Integration – the structured experience
is designed. The participants apply
generalizations to actual situations in
which they are involved outside the
training sessions
Steps in the Learning Cycle
7. Closing – brief remarks as opposed
to long lectures, give a sense of
ending to the structured learning
experience.
“Back home” applications imply
that participants in the sessions
are expected to apply their
learnings and insights in the home,
work, and social world situations.
The Experiential
Learning Cycle
Some adults have a receptive, experienced based
approach to learning. They rely heavily on feeling
judgments and learn best from specific examples,
from involvement and discussions. Kolb calls these
learners concrete experiencers.
Some individuals have a tentative , impartial, and
reflective approach. They are called as reflective
observers, relying on careful observation and
learning best from situations allowing impartial
observation.
The Experiential Learning
Cycle
Other individuals have an analytical and
conceptual approach, using logical thinking
and rational evaluation. They learn best from
impersonal situations, from the opportunity to
integrate new learning with what is already
known, and from the theory. These are
abstract conceptualizers, tend to be most
comfortable in the fourth step of the
experiential learning cycle.
The Experiential
Learning Cycle
Finally, the active experimenters approach
learning pragmatically (“Yes, but will it
work?). They rely heavily on
experimentation and learn best from
projects, back home applications, and
“trying it out”. They must have the answer
to the question: “Now that I know all of
this, what am I going to do with it.
Diagram of the Experiential Learning Cycle
Step 1.
Experiencing
(Activity,
Step 5. doing) Step 2.
Applying Publishing
Experiencing (Sharing
(Planning
more effective reactions and
behavior) Applying Processing observations)
Generalizing
Step 4. Step 3.
Generalizing Processing
(Inferring (Discussing
principles about patterns and
the “real world” dynamics
The Experiential
Learning Cycle
The concrete experiencer will be receptive to and
excited by experiencing the activity (Step 1) and
publishing reaction (Step 2), whereas the
reflective observer might find these two steps
either boring or childish.