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Group Membership Moreland and Levine’s (1982) Model of Group Membership consist of five phases. These five phases are associated with some sort of social role. A year ago, I took a class called Group Dynamics. The objective of this class was to learn how to work within a group in a workplace environment and how to be a better leader. The first week of class the professor announced that groups would be formed the next class meeting and students were to maintain these groups for the remainder of the quarter. The first stage of Moreland and Levine’s model consist of the investigative phase.
In my case, this phase began as soon as the professor announced that we would be forming groups. Everyone in the classroom was leery due to lack of knowledge of one another. A few members in the class mentioned how important their grades were to them and how they did not trust anyone with their work. I felt this was my chance to step in; I spoke to two of these complaining individuals hoping that they would accept my group membership proposal. As the three of us spoke another individual stepped in and began to join in on our conversation.
Eventually, we asked each other questions to decide how important school really was to each of us. The outcome was the four of us forming a group named Live, Laugh, Learn. The socialization phase is the second portion of Moreland and Levine’s model. The second week came around and when the professor questioned who had formed groups we each raised our hand with pride. It seemed as if we each felt we had a solid enough group. At this point we began to form rules for our group to maintain order. We also appointed a group leader.
The group leader was the person to address any issues that the group was having including lack of participation, unethical behavior in class, and not handling your own workload. If a member had an issue he/she must address it with the group leader. The fourth week of school had come around and the second project was due. Each member completed their assigned task and forwarded the information via email to the group leader. On the day the project was due the group leader was a no show. The number one established rule had been broken. He failed to inform any of the group members of his absence.
The remaining group members scrambled the information they each had completed and compiled the assignment to turn it in. These actions were a part of the maintenance phase of the group membership model. This is because the group leader was now viewed as a marginal member because he was unable to comply with the commitment the group wished-for. The group then entered the resocialization phase of the group model. This was when the group decided to override the group leader’s rules and speak with one another about the problem the group was facing.
The following week the group leader explained to the group that each quarter he takes one week off and he forgot that the project was due. This realization affirmed that the group could not forgive or come to an agreement with the group’s leader. He was renounced as the leader and the group thereon worked together as equal members of the team. The final phase of the group model is the remembrance phase. The last week of that quarter was delightful. No projects were due and the groups were no longer groups. We had an unplanned talent show in class and my group and I ended up performing together.
After the talent show was over and we had lost, we laughed and reminisced on the different situations we had endured the past eleven weeks. It was even confessed that each and every one of us picked one another due to similar values. Regardless of how everything, throughout the time of the team working together, turned out I am proud to have been a member of Live, Laugh, Learn. References Franzoi, S. L. (2009). PSY 110: Social psychology: 2009 custom edition (5th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing.