Group psychology: theoretical models and practical applications by Dr. Adnan Youssef Al-Atoum

Social Psychology of the Group; Theoretical Models and Practical Applications by Adnan Youssef Al-Atoum Publisher: Dar Al-Masirah for Printing and Publishing Type: Paperback with cardboard cover Publisher's note: The study of the group and its dynamics concern the nature of changes and transformations that occur in the behavior of individuals in small groups as a result of dynamic changes among group members or during their interaction with each other in social situations. Social psychology of the group or group dynamics is the practical study of group behavior and an attempt to understand its emergence, development, and its ability to influence the behavior of its members through social interaction situations. Social psychology and group psychology are sciences that developed with the beginnings of psychology itself, making it a modern behavioral science in its theses and applications, and an old science in its ideas and theories. It offers an understanding of individual or group member behavior to identify group behavior, performance, and its ability to become an effective group capable of achieving its goals. Group behavior cannot be determined solely by individual behavior due to the influence of interaction and impact among members and their exposure to a wide range of variables reflected in group behavior during social interaction situations, such as the influence of leadership, social context, physical environment of the group, and the social and personal characteristics of group members that interact with each other. This complexity makes the task more difficult, as it is more than just the sum of individual behaviors. The idea of writing a book on social psychology of the group aims to provide a scientific book that serves as a main and fundamental reference in teaching courses related to group psychology, especially given the clear lack of Arabic references in this field. The available resources often do not reflect the latest developments in this vital branch of general psychology and social psychology, as well as its broad applications in various fields of public life, whether in education, industry, commerce, management, economics, military, security, politics, diplomacy, and other vital societal areas. The book covers eight chapters distributed as follows: Chapter One: Introduction to the Study of Social Psychology of the Group: It covers the definition of sciences related to social psychology of the group, the definition of the group and social group, properties of groups, their history, and research methods. Chapter Two: Types and Importance of Groups and Their Structure: It discusses types of groups, their importance, construction, and composition, as well as social roles, social positions, group standards, communication methods within groups, and the development and growth of groups. Chapter Three: Productivity in Groups: It covers the concept of productivity and its theories such as the social loafing theory, social facilitation theory, and social dilemma theory. It also discusses the goals and tasks of groups, factors affecting group productivity, and ways to improve group work. Chapter Four: Group Decision-Making: It discusses leadership and decision-making, the concept of collective and individual decisions, and theories of group decision-making such as social polarization theory and groupthink theory. It also examines factors influencing group decisions, methods of group decision-making, and its steps. The chapter discusses social power factors in decision-making, such as conformity, obedience, compliance, minority and majority influence. Chapter Five: The Physical Environment of the Group: It covers the concept of environmental psychology and reviews several physical environmental factors and their effects on group behavior, such as climate factors, lighting and colors, noise, environmental pollution, crowding, personal space, and spatial zones. Chapter Six: Social Characteristics of the Group: It discusses properties of group cohesion, homogeneity, group harmony, and the phenomenon of fanaticism. Chapter Seven: Personal Characteristics of Group Members: It covers properties such as group size, age, gender, physical characteristics, members' abilities, and personal traits of group members. Chapter Eight: Practical Applications of Social Psychology of the Group: This chapter discusses applications of social psychology in areas such as group therapy and counseling, cooperative learning groups, groups involved in terrorism and extremism, social integration groups, dialogue groups, self-help groups, and volunteer groups.