The group as a self-active system: Outline of a theory of group action

• Published in: European journal of social psychology 1986-07, Vol.16 (3), p.193-229
• Main Authors: Von Cranach, Mario, Ochsenbein, Guy, Valach, Ladislav
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group Dynamics; Intergroup Relations; Interpersonal Communication; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social psychology; Task Oriented Groups; Theories
• ISSN: 0046-2772; 1099-0992
• DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2420160302

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.