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The group as a self‐active system: Outline of a theory of group action
Author(s) -
Von Cranach Mario,
Ochsenbein Guy,
Valach Ladislav
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2420160302
Subject(s) - volition (linguistics) , action (physics) , group (periodic table) , psychology , cognition , task (project management) , social psychology , social group , group structure , cognitive psychology , cognitive science , linguistics , philosophy , physics , chemistry , management , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , economics , psychotherapist
Human social systems, and groups in partlcular, are conceived as units which, as a whole, actively strive towards the achievement of external and internal goals. This ‘group action’ consists of simultaneous integrated processes on various individual and social levels. Our theory comprises four groups of constructs, which refer to task structure, group structure, information processing and execution. In an ongoing group action, the task structure is projected on the group structure; according to the resulting pattern, the group processes its action related information and executes the act. The latter two processes proceed on two levels, on an individual and on a group level. There are cognition, emotion and volition on the individual, and communication on the group level of information processing; execution proceeds in individual action and in cooperation. A specific part of the theory concerns analogies between individual cognition and intragroup communication.