Group Comm Chap. 2

Escape

member is motivated to communicate to avoid other activities or stressful situations.

Relaxation

member is motivated to communicate to unwind and lower anxiety.

Zero history group

a group whose members never worked together before; members of this group harbor preconceived expectations for the group.

Cohesion

a member reaching an acceptable level of desire to stay in the group.

Loneliness

a powerlessness some group members feel from not being able or allowed to participate in the group's process.

Consensus

all group members agree with and commit to the decision.

Mentoring

an interpersonal relationship between an experienced member and an inexperienced member whereby the experienced member facilitates the professional and social development of the new member.

Socialization

comprises a two-way process of influence and change whereby group members use verbal and nonverbal messages to create a new and unique group culture.

Socialization outcomes

describes how members and the group as a whole feel about how they cooperated and succeeded in completing goals (cohesion, consensus, communication satisfaction, & loneliness).

Communication satisfaction

describes members who walk away from group meetings or from the group feeling positively fulfilled from the experience.

Model of small group socialization

five phases that illustrate how communication influences socialization processes (antecedent, anticipatory, encounter, assimilation, & exit).

Socialization guidelines

ideas for the successful socialization of members to help ensure success, from the perspective of both the new member and the group.

Encounter phase

individuals come together for the first time, either face-to-face or through other media, and begin the process of establishing group goals and roles.

Anticipatory phase

individuals decide what they expect from group membership as well as each group member; existing groups form expectations about new group members.

Trust

involves the group members' willingness to "take a chance" on each other; without trust, news members likely will fail to gain acceptance by established group members and established members will remain wary of new members.

Affection

member is motivated to communicate to feel liked and to like others.

Inclusion

member is motivated to communicate to have a sense of belonging.

Pleasure

member is motivated to communicate to have fun.

Control

member is motivated to communicate to have the power to manipulate the environment.

Exit phase

members exit learning, work, and social groups, and the groups themselves may end.

Assimilation phase

new members accept the established group culture and begin to identify with the group and its members; as applied to groups, culture encompasses members creating a unique group and using communicative behaviors exclusive to their group to make sense of what they do.

Antecedent phase

some members express beliefs and attitudes, both positive and negative, about group work based on personal experiences or experiences shared by others.

Attraction theory

the reason that people join groups (ex. they enjoy the company's products or services; a group's goals may attract individuals; the idea of a group membership may motivate a person to join; they like or feel a connection with one or more members).

Interpersonal communication styles

the reason why people interact, the means by which they interact, with whom they interact, and the content of the interactions; there are six motives (inclusion, affection, control, escape, pleasure, & relaxation).