Use of English

Group Dynamics

The psychology of group dynamics has long been a subject of interest to researchers seeking to understand why people behave differently in groups than they do alone. Individuals may, for instance, conform to opinions they would normally reject, simply to avoid being (0) LEFT out. In many cases, people are not even fully aware of the pressure being (1) .......... upon them by the group. This is especially true when a strong leader sets the tone and others quickly fall (2) .......... line. Once this happens, dissenting voices may be ignored, and poor decisions can emerge because nobody wants to (3) .......... the apparent consensus. Psychologists have also pointed out that responsibility tends to be (4) .......... among members, making each person feel less accountable for the outcome. At the same time, belonging to a group can have positive effects, since shared goals often (5) .......... cooperation and mutual support. Whether a group becomes productive or destructive may depend on how willing its members are to (6) .......... assumptions and listen to alternative views. For this reason, successful teams usually create an atmosphere in which disagreement is not seen as a threat but as a valuable (7) .......... to discussion. In the end, understanding group dynamics can help us (8) .......... better decisions both collectively and individually.