The aim of the proposed text is to provide a comprehensive but accessible undergraduate resource for the study of group processes and intergroup relations at Levels 2 and 3. It will be designed for students who have studied introductory social psychology at Level 1, and who have therefore gained a basic understanding of the psychology of groups, but who now require a sufficiently detailed and specific text for more advanced study.
There is a clear need for a new undergraduate text on group processes and intergroup relations. There are few contemporary texts on the topic, and those that exist have either not been recently updated or are aimed at a higher level, primarily postgraduate students and junior academics. This means that there is currently no text offering students critical analysis of both classic studies and cutting edge research at an accessible level appropriate to undergraduate students. In addition, existing texts do not have sufficient pedagogical features or supportive materials to facilitate teaching and learning for both teachers and students.
In keeping with the endorsement that the text would receive from the British Psychological Society, it will fully comply with the BPS syllabus and would be aimed at the UK market. The coverage of theory and research would, however, be international (reflecting the nature of research in the field) and therefore be broad ranging enough to be of interest to American and European students. The text will be structured in accordance with British courses on group processes and intergroup relations, which typically last between 10 and 12 weeks. The 12 chapters, while organised around the two broad research themes of group processes and intergroup relations, will form a coherent and complete course. We will lead the student through each chapter in a way that builds incrementally on what they have learned in preceding chapters, and signpost the way for topics to be covered later on. We will begin with defining groups and their formation, move on through group performance and leadership, to crowd behaviour and prosocial behaviour. We will develop a broad perspective on groups, from concrete to more abstract conceptualisations; from earlier discussions of group performance and social influence to representations of social categories and stereotypes; prejudice and intergroup discrimination, stigmatization and social exclusion. We will conclude with chapters that focus on developing interventions for improving intergroup relations and finally discuss the broadest ways of thinking about groups in societies and across cultures, encompassing multiculturalism and diversity.
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations will use a mix of classic and contemporary studies to illustrate each topic, issue, debate and controversy, and make use of historic and current events in order to give the research context and relevance. Rather than simply outlining the key theories and findings, we will encourage evaluation of theories and methods to develop students’ knowledge, understanding, and an ability to think critically. In order to give the text a cutting edge feel we will also pay homage to newer influences in the field such as the effects of the internet on group processes; research on stereotype threat and the impact of ostracism and social exclusion.
The text will have extensive pedagogical features: graphs, tables, pictures, and diagrams to present data and illustrate important concepts. We will use text boxes to describe important studies and examples in more detail, and we will highlight key terms and provide definitions in the margin. These features will help to make the book accessible and memorable. In addition, we intend to provide materials for online support for the text. A companion website will include a number of features for students and teachers. For students, we will provide multiple choice questions, a flashcard glossary containing all the important terms from the book and a study skills section with resources to help students prepare coursework and exams. For teachers, we will provide PowerPoint slides with the figures from each chapter, and a test bank of short answer and multiple choice questions for each chapter.
