Experimental Studies In Social Climates Of Groups

importance of social atmosphere is evident in the thought and action of every individual the C of the culture and the atmosphere of the family mold the personality of The Growing Child the atmosphere in the classroom and workshop deeply affector of the work undertaken by Ronald lipet was to test the effect of group atmosphere on the conditions which would permit insight into the underlying forces four boys clubs were formed from different classes from eager volunteers five members were selected for each Club so that the pattern of friendship and Leadership was about the same for each Club these boys were 10 to 11 years old they met 1 hour every week with their adult leader three distinct social climates were created the first of these was Democratic in the Democratic atmosphere there was group planning and adult cooperation the children were free to choose what to do and with whom to work but the planning was done cooperatively and by majority decision the second social climate was one of autocracy in the autocratic atmosphere the direction was entirely in the hands of the adult he determined what was to be done and which she work together there was no long range planning the children were instructed from step to step in a friendly but determined manner in the third group an atmosphere of L Fair prevailed in the L Fair atmosphere there was individualistic Freedom with a minimum of adult participation these unrehearsed Motion Pictures document the activities of the clubs and are offered as illustration not as scientific proof the Democratic Club called itself the Dick Tracy club and made a coat of arms most of the boys are sitting discussing what to do today various suggestions are made different long range plans are discussed in detail the boy on the left is engaged in a specific project but when the group votes he is asked to give his consent the two boys at the right have started a friendly scuffle which breaks up quickly a certain amount of horse play is typical for the healthy child of that age the boys have voted to make plaster foot have volunteered to have their feet cast now they're all busy boy in the middle has just made a cast of his foot everyone is interested and active the boy at the left is still sawing and in the background three boys and the leader work as a group The Democratic leader participates as a regular fella he gladly gives technical advice but only if asked he carefully avoids any domineering Behavior at the right A boy is mixing the boy at the left is sawing the boy in Black in the rear is also sawing and you'll notice he's very persistent work proceeds with much spontaneity small groups emerge but working alone or in teams the spirit of when the leader leaves to test whether his presence affects their behavior these Democratic boys continue their work without loss of interest at the end of the hour everybody including the leader participates spontaneously in the cleanup as our autocratic club we present the secret agents number 52 in this autocratic atmosphere the boys reacted in two ways either by aggression or by obedient submission in the first place the boys were somewhat rebellious against their leader and showed much aggression against their fellows on several occasions one boy was made the scapegoat and the butt of much hostility in other groups the same degree of autocracy led to obedience submission a kind of apathy the secret agents show the typical characteristic of the subm miscy this is the beginning of a meeting dependent and lacking in self-direction the boys sit around idle waiting for their leader to arrive and direct their activities the leader arrives and immediately starts to direct the boys follow orders without discussion the leader supervises but does not participate he stands over the group the boy at the right needs help with his apron the autocrat does not give assistance but orders another boy to fix the apron the leader sees to it that every detail is carried out correctly soon everybody is busy carrying out directions work proceeds as intensively as in democracy but the product frequently shows a poor equality note the complete liation among the boys they communicate only with the leader and if they wish advice they ask him the boy in the foreground has directed his attention elsewhere where but the autocrat orders him back to work everybody is told step by step what to do and with whom to work this might look like a model School room but you'll now see What Lies Beneath the surface the leader will leave the room for a short time to determine to to what extent the behavior of the boys is the result of his presence you'll remember that in democracy the work went on as intensively as ever in autocracy work continues for a few moments but the two boys at the left already have stopped work by now the work has disintegrated entirely the boys are moving around aimlessly some are yelling others are idle this shows that work in ocracy is not child driven activity the boy at the left hears the leader returning feels guilty and acts as if he's been working one boy after another quickly returns to his job and soon all are again down to work under autocracy clean up at the end of the hour is typically thorough and painstaking each boy gets a specific task and is rigidly supervised the Law and Order Patrol number 10 is our example of the third social atmosphere that of l a fair in the l a fair situation everybody does only what he wants to do the adult in the background stands Al Loop he's ready to serve as a technical expert if asked but he doesn't participate in the activity of the boys as the Democratic leader did he has little effect on the atmosphere the boys have started with the material available one boy approaches the leader for advice two other boys join him a Cooperative activity seems to emerge the boy at the front and the boy at the right Rush toward the group in the back however the Cooperative work quickly disintegrates The Cooperative beginning lacks sufficient momentum to bring about group planning and group decision without these the work disintegrates into individual projects which frequently interfere with each other the behavior of some of the boys is rather aimless the older boy at the right and the rear keeps working but the rest of the boys start some Gunplay they're shooting with wooden pistols from behind the burlap the scene gets more and more lively anarchic Freedom can also lead to boredom the boy at the left doesn't know exactly what to do the boy coming from the right is also somewhat at a loss he looks around seems to be completely bored the less a fair situation turns out to be narrow and frustrating because it fails to provide worthwhile aims and long range perspective at the end of the hour the boys go away unconcerned about the things they leave behind only Bob the workm minded boy pies on without help our statistical results for these groups show that friendly behavior and we feeling are greatest in democracy least in aggressive autocracy aggression and entered Behavior among children are medium in democracy and less aair very high in aggressive autocracy and abnormally low in apathetic autocracy time spent in work is kept High by the leader in athetic and aggressive autocracy when the leader leaves work drops instead loafing becomes dominant in democracy the children continue to work on the same level inless a fair workm minded is usually low in the first club meeting the amount of hostility among children is about the same in the Democratic and autocratic clubs later on hostility in autocracy keeps well above hostility in democracy at the fourth and fifth meeting of autocracy the children too weak to attack the leader gang together against Tom and he quits at the sixth seventh and eighth meetings George is made the scapegoat until he quits scapegoat outbursts never occurred in our Democratic clubs to show the result of changing the group atmosphere a new adult leader appears at the seventh club meeting a new leader follows a different policy and creates a different atmosphere this was done to show that the decisive Factor governing the behavior of the group was not the personality of the individual members but the social climate of each Club to show further that the personality of the leader was not the decisive Factor each leader followed the Democratic autocratic and less a fair procedure with different clubs in this way most of the clubs could be observed in all three atmosphere speres three transitions are presented these include democracy to autocracy autocracy to democracy and less a fair to democracy on the last day before the change to autocracy the Dick Tracy Club is as Democratic as before the leader participates in the work as a regular fella the boys are intensely interested and busy the two boys at the left are sawing eagerly on the day of change to autocracy these boys do not know that their new leader will be autocratic and are still in a democratic atmosphere they're friendly and preparing spontaneously and eagerly for work leaders arrival doesn't draw much attention from these independent boys he invites them to sit down but this time they are not assembled to discuss plans or to vote but to receive instructions the boys immediately seem to sense the difference in atmosphere the boy in the foreground seems to be most puzzled and impressed by the change and doesn't know what it's all about the boys start to follow the leader's instructions detailed orders quickly make the boys dependent on the autocrat for directions instead of Consulting with a friend the boys ask the leader pre conversation has ceased the Lively atmosphere and free communication between members that prevailed but a few minutes ago has changed to a situation where every boy pursues the task he's received more or less isolated from his fellows work is quite intensive no stolen glances away from the work the boy at the left in the rear a very active fellow during democracy seems to have become bored if you remember how the same boys looked before you'll realize how these faces have changed the boy on the table at the extreme right is swinging his legs the boy at the left asked the leader's advice the autocratic atmosphere becomes more and more pervasive and begins to change the behavior visibly within 1 hour the Lively workm minded Democratic d Tracy Club has become under authoritarian leadership rather colorless and dependent the fifth day of autocracy found the new pattern of behavior fully established the boys are making airplanes the leader holds the blueprints if a boy doesn't know how to proceed lead he has to approach the leader in this way he is made and kept dependent the formerly free and easy group has ceased conversation work proceeds efficiently the dependence on supervision has become definite when the leader left in democracy these same boys proceeded at full speed under their own steam now in autocracy work soon Fades the boy in the middle Smiles it is the first smile you have seen in the autocratic atmosphere the boy at the left relaxes visibly conversation starts the boy at the right feels free to leave his place with the leader gone pressure ceases and the tension eases off but with this pressure gone all incentive to work disappears too one boy leaves his work entirely and goes to the corner here at the extreme right he's reading a book a typical authoritarian cleanup minute supervision no talking to one another no smiling no one leaves before permission is given every scrap must be picked up the secret agents on the last day before the change presents the same rigid authoritarian atmosphere and the same submissiveness and dependence you've seen before no smiles and practically no conversation among the boys but here is the same group at its third meeting after the change to democracy even this brief experience has sufficed to make communication free and easy group discussion has replaced the leader decisions and instructions the boys are intently engaged in soap carving observe how the faces have changed smiles and friendliness have replaced the solemn reception of instructions in autocracy these boys are making model airplanes but now the blueprint is accessible to everyone and the boys proceed with a Cooperative plan but how much more fun what boy is testing airplane glue the change from democracy to autocracy was much slower than from autocracy to democracy because autocracy is imposed upon the individual democracy one has to learn on the last day before the change the Law and Order Patrol shows the typical characteristics of L aair much horse playay goes on the entrance of the adult means nothing to the members a Cooperative Endeavor seems to develop however it's soon disintegrates without real goals the members engage in disorganized play on the day of change the atmosphere is still typically less a fair a lot of horse play quick changing of activities without long range perspective a Democratic leader will have a difficult time with these boys if he clamps down on them he may get autocracy if he does nothing the club will remain anarchic a new leader is Seated on the a fringe of the group listening unobtrusively to the talk of the boys he joins in the conversation briefly from time to time the boy at the extreme left appears to need help the leader shows him how to do it but he quickly leaves the boy alone again gradually the adult increases his participation he becomes more and more an accepted member of the group the leader helps develop group planning the atmosphere gains in steadiness work has started disorganized activity however still crops up leader does not attempt to set up strict rule but by occasional suggestions he strengthens whatever spontaneous Cooperative Endeavor emerges his presence seems to have a quieting effect Cooperative planning and group work become more predominant boy entering from the right has his dagger ready for action he attempts to start horse play with the boy on his right but now his interest in the project is stronger than the call to horse play the boys have really gotten down to business friendly discuss the first organized vote in the new democracy everybody is busy with intensive work after five meetings democracy is firmly established airplane Construction the boys study the blueprint and are planning their work the leader participates without domineering friendly and open atmosphere the boys follow through their plans to construct the model airplane with the help of the blueprint they are as unrestricted as in the previous l a fair situation but now their interest and energy are focused to look further ahead and plan their own future has actually given them more freedom and happiness a leader is now fully accepted as an active member of the group he does his part as any other member the atmosphere now closely resembles the situation of intensive and deep interest displayed by the first Democratic group to test whether this is actually the case the leader leaves work goes on as intensively as before in autocracy the organization of the group is based entirely on the autocrat take him away and Anarchy results in democracy leadership is essential but the organization does not collapse if the leader leaves these boys like those in the first Democratic group continue to work because their actions do not follow orders from above but spring from their own needs the leader resumes his place as a group member the Law and Order Patrol which a few meetings ago was Restless group without interest in or ability for persistent work appears to have changed its character it has become a well organized purposeful and hardworking group once the Democratic atmosphere has been established comparing the same children in different we found this range of individual differences in the Democratic and in the autocratic atmosphere it is evident that autocracy kills individuality dependence on the adult leader in the apathetic autocracy increases markedly from the first to the last meeting but after a change to less a fair the same children showed little dependence with a slight increase due to insecurity at the end of that period in democracy the same children show a consistently low level of adults in group positively low in Les a fair but skyrockets from the first to the last meeting of aggressive autocracy with the change to democracy hostility drops immediately and continues to drop to of aggression at the end of democracy friendly we feeling among secret agents is high during democracy it dipped to a low level in autocracy and is reestablished with a return to Democratic Leadership