Small Group Midterm Review

1. Small Groups: Power, Definition, and Attraction.

• Define Small Group Communication
• Know how small group is defined
• Know how communication is defined
• Know what a transactional process involves
• Understand and be able to give many examples of symbolic behavior
• Be able to explain what it means to create shared meaning
• Know why people join groups
• Know the characteristics of Small Groups
• Know and be able to provide examples to explain synergy
• Know the importance of interdependence, and interactivity

2. Groups as Systems of Interaction

• Be able to explain systems theory with an example
• Understand how groups are systems and be able to explain the many elements involved in the group system
• Recognize key terms regarding systems such as: synergy, openness, interdependence, feedback, entropy, equifinality and environment
• Recognize the six basic elements of human communication which underlie the study of small group communication (page 28)
• Know what defines a system as being open

3. Norms, Roles, Cohesiveness, and Groupthink.

• Norms - What are they? What types are there?
• When would a person violate or not violate a norm?
• Roles - Be able to differentiate between examples of the three types of roles
• Recognize the various functions of roles
• Understand how our communicative behavior/statements allow us to perform various roles
• Be able to discuss the functions of norms and roles
• Cohesiveness - What are the influences on cohesiveness?
• What are the consequences of cohesiveness?
• Groupthink - Know the symptoms and preventions for groupthink

4. Four Phases of Group Development: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.

• Know the four/five stages of group development
  • Forming: Hello, Orientation, and Inclusion
  • Storming: Conflict in Groups
  • Norming: Emergence as a Group
  • Performing: Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Terminating
• Be able to discuss the phase model of development and differentiate each of the phases including a discussion of what stage your Project 1 group has achieved
• Know what types of communicative behavior are typical in each phase
• Be able to recognize a formal Vs an informal group
• Be able to differentiate task for social dynamics
• Differentiate primary from secondary tension (page 78)

5. Diversity in Groups: The Strength of Different Perspectives.

• Defining Diversity and Its Place in Small Groups.
• Assumptions and Stereotyping. See the relevance of this section to our class
• Communication Contexts - Understand the influence of context on our communication sending and receiving behavior. Focus on on page 90
• Know the advantages diverse groups have over homogeneous groups
• Recognize many types of diversity in our classroom

6. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication.

• Know the functions of verbal communication
• Know the meaning of task ordering, process orientation, and narratives (what are these ideas)?
• Structure of meaning in verbal communication
• Know the difference between denotative and connotative meaning
• Know what semantics mean and be able to explain
• Nonverbal Communication - Know the principles and types of nonverbal communication. (Facial displays, paralanguage, body language, proxemics, chronemics.)
• Know the functions of non-verbal communication in the table on page 120

Developed by David Bodary, Comments and Suggestions
Last modified: October 4, 2007