Small groups lead, big groups control: Perceptions of numerical group size, power, and status across development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isobel A. Heck ◽  
Jesús Bas ◽  
Katherine D. Kinzler
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Control Perceptions

Vigilance Patterns of Bald Eagles Feeding in Groups

The Auk ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan K. Knight ◽  
Richard L. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Haliaeetus Leucocephalus ◽  
Potential Danger ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Bald Eagles ◽  
Additional Function ◽  
Scanning Time ◽  
Large Groups

Abstract Patterns of vigilant behavior of wintering Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) feeding on spawned salmon were examined in 1983-1984 on the Nooksack River in northwestern Washington. Vigilance in feeding birds has, in general, been attributed to predator detection; however, we proposed an additional function of vigilance in socially feeding birds that are vulnerable to food robbery and possible injury by conspecifics. We tested predictions of two nonexclusive hypotheses: (1) eagles look up while feeding to detect danger from humans, and (2) eagles look up while feeding to detect pirating attempts or avoid injury by conspecifics. Results suggest that the function of vigilance varies, depending on the size of the feeding group. Vigilance patterns of eagles feeding in small groups (1-4 eagles) and medium groups (5-7 eagles0 are consistent with hypothesis 1, whereas those of eagles feeding in large groups (8-14 eagles) are consistent with hypothesis 2. Eagles in small groups were more vigilant (measured as scanning time and rate of head raising) when feeding near potential danger (riverbank cover) than when far from danger. Adult eagles feeding in areas of intense human activity were more vigilant than immatures feeding at the same site and were more vigilant than both adults and immatures feeding at secluded sites. Vigilance declined as group size increased from 1 to 4 eagles, and increased as group size ranged from 8 to 14 eagles. Feeding eagles that were looking up at the time of a pirating attempt were more successful in keeping their food than eagles with their heads down. In feeding areas where human activity was minimal, eagles formed larger groups than at more disturbed sites.

scholarly journals Decision-Making in a Real-Time Business Simulation Game: Cultural and Demographic Aspects in Small Group Dynamics

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (03) ◽  
pp. 779-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Bragge ◽  
Henrik Kallio ◽  
Tomi Seppälä ◽  
Timo Lainema ◽  
Pekka Malo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Dynamic Decision Making ◽  
Simulation Game ◽  
Business Simulation

Simulated virtual realities offer a promising but currently underutilized source of data in studying cultural and demographic aspects of dynamic decision-making (DDM) in small groups. This study focuses on one simulated reality, a clock-driven business simulation game, which is used to teach operations management. The purpose of our study is to analyze the characteristics of the decision-making groups, such as cultural orientation, education, gender and group size, and their relationship to group performance in a real-time processed simulation game. Our study examines decision-making in small groups of two or three employees from a global manufacturing and service operations company. We aim at shedding new light on how such groups with diverse background profiles perform as decision-making units. Our results reveal that the profile of the decision-making group influences the outcome of decision-making, the final business result of the simulation game. In particular, the cultural and gender diversity, as well as group size seem to have intertwined effects on team performance.

scholarly journals Cooperation in small groups: the effect of group size

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Nosenzo ◽  
Simone Quercia ◽  
Martin Sefton
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups

scholarly journals How chimpanzees solve collective action problems

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1749) ◽  
pp. 4946-4954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Claire Schneider ◽  
Alicia P. Melis ◽  
Michael Tomasello
Keyword(s):  
Collective Action ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Free Riding ◽  
Personal Relationships ◽  
Social Tolerance ◽  
Significant Variability ◽  
Collective Action Problems ◽  
The Individual

We presented small groups of chimpanzees with two collective action situations, in which action was necessary for reward but there was a disincentive for individuals to act owing to the possibility of free-riding on the efforts of others. We found that in simpler scenarios (experiment 1) in which group size was small, there was a positive relationship between rank and action with more dominant individuals volunteering to act more often, particularly when the reward was less dispersed. Social tolerance also seemed to mediate action whereby higher tolerance levels within a group resulted in individuals of lower ranks sometimes acting and appropriating more of the reward. In more complex scenarios, when group size was larger and cooperation was necessary (experiment 2), overcoming the problem was more challenging. There was highly significant variability in the action rates of different individuals as well as between dyads, suggesting success was more greatly influenced by the individual personalities and personal relationships present in the group.

scholarly journals Pareto meets Olson – A Note on Pareto-optimality and Group Size in Linear Public Goods Games

ORDO ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Pickhardt
Keyword(s):  
Public Goods ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Pareto Optimality ◽  
Pareto Optimal ◽  
Public Goods Games ◽  
Optimal Allocations ◽  
Large Groups ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Pareto Optimal Allocations

SummaryIn this paper I examine the relationship between Pareto-optimality and group size in linear public goods games or experiments. In particular, I use the standard setting of homogeneous linear public goods experiments and apply a recently developed tool to identify all Pareto-optimal allocations in such settings. It turns out that under any conceivable circumstances, ceteris paribus, small groups have a higher Pareto-ratio (Pareto-optimal allocations over total allocations) than large groups. Hence, if Pareto-optimality of an allocation is a property that makes such allocations acceptable and maintainable, small groups will find is easier to provide Pareto-optimal amounts of a public good than large groups. This is a novel reasoning for Mancur Olson′s claim, in particular, with respect to what he has termed inclusive goods and inclusive groups.

The Effect of Group Size and Synchrony on Pain Threshold Changes

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Lewis ◽  
Philip J. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Significant Interaction ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Factorial Anova ◽  
Large Group ◽  
Paired Condition

Synchronization of behavior has repeatedly been shown to increase pain threshold, which is understood to be an indicator of endorphin activity. Although Weinstein et al. found that large and small groups showed the same effect, to date no study has manipulated group size to determine if it has an effect on change in pain threshold. Thirty-three participants rowed two 20-min time trials under two counterbalanced conditions—paired and large group. Pain threshold was assessed before, immediately post, 5-min post, and 10-min post each session. A repeated-measures (3 × 2) factorial ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between condition and time. Specifically, there was a significantly higher pain threshold in the large group than in the paired condition after 10 min of exercise.

scholarly journals Group-size-dependent punishment of idle subordinates in a cooperative breeder where helpers pay to stay

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1789) ◽  
pp. 20140184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Fischer ◽  
Markus Zöttl ◽  
Frank Groenewoud ◽  
Barbara Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Cooperative Breeding ◽  
Breeding Systems ◽  
Idle Period ◽  
Cognitive Constraints ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Large Groups

In cooperative breeding systems, dominant breeders sometimes tolerate unrelated individuals even if they inflict costs on the dominants. According to the ‘pay-to-stay’ hypothesis, (i) subordinates can outweigh these costs by providing help and (ii) dominants should be able to enforce help by punishing subordinates that provide insufficient help. This requires that dominants can monitor helping and can recognize group members individually. In a field experiment, we tested whether cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher subordinates increase their help after a forced ‘idle’ period, how other group members respond to a previously idle helper, and how helper behaviour and group responses depend on group size. Previously idle helpers increased their submissiveness and received more aggression than control helpers, suggesting that punishment occurred to enforce help. Subordinates in small groups increased their help more than those in large groups, despite receiving less aggression. When subordinates were temporarily removed, dominants in small groups were more likely to evict returning subordinates. Our results suggest that only in small groups do helpers face a latent threat of punishment by breeders as predicted by the pay-to-stay hypothesis. In large groups, cognitive constraints may prevent breeders from tracking the behaviour of a large number of helpers.

scholarly journals Inequality in talk and group size effects: An analysis of measures

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 778-798
Author(s):  
Mary R. Rose ◽  
Shari Seidman Diamond ◽  
Daniel A. Powers
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Gini Coefficient ◽  
Size Effects ◽  
Exponential Distributions ◽  
Jury Deliberation ◽  
Inequality Measures ◽  
Insufficient Attention ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Measures Of Inequality

The earliest studies of talk in small groups indicated that larger groups experience more inequality in participation than smaller groups. However, there has been insufficient attention to how to properly measure inequality when group size varies. We describe properties of a common inequality metric, the Gini coefficient, and consider it in light of early efforts that modeled talk in small groups using harmonic and exponential distributions. We use these classic distributions to develop novel inequality measures and also consider a measure developed specifically to examine inequality across small systems of different sizes (the CON). We apply all measures of inequality to data from four highly realistic jury deliberation datasets, including one involving real juries, examining both word counts and turns. All indicators correlate very highly with one another, but both the Gini and a Gini adjusted for group size privilege smaller groups over larger ones, producing significant positive correlations with group size. The model-based values and the CON offer a different ordering of datasets compared to the Gini and do not show the same correlations with group size. Results offer several reasons to recommend the CON measure as a promising way of comparing inequality across small groups of different sizes.

Implications for comparability of laboratory experiments revealed in studies on the effects of population density on vigour in Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) and Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae & Termitidae)

1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lenz ◽  
R. A. Barrett ◽  
E. R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Termite Species ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Optimal Population ◽  
Wood Consumption ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Comparability Of Results

AbstractThe vigour, i.e. survival and wood consumption, of groups of Coptotermes lacteus (Frogg.) and Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill) was measured when termites were kept at different population densities by changing group size and/or volume of the holding container. A characteristic pattern emerged for subterranean termite species. At low population densities (<0·01 g termites/ml), performance improved with an increase in group size; at higher densities, it tended to decline. The impact of altering group size and container volume on termite vigour was most pronounced at low population densities; at higher population densities, performance tended to be more stable but declined markedly when termites became overcrowded. In most jar-type experiments on termites, especially those conducted in Europe and the USA, small groups of termites are housed in disproportionately large jars, resulting in very low, sub-optimal population densities. Suggestions are made for improvement in experimental design that would lead to an enhancement of the comparability of results from different laboratories.

The Size and Composition of Groups in the Red Kangaroo, Macropus rufus

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM Russell
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Red Kangaroo ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Macropus Rufus

Red kangaroos, observed in the field in western New South Wales, were dispersed in small groups which, although aggregated near shelter, food or water, appeared to move independently. The temporal stability of these small groups is not known. Mean group size was 2.6, and more animals were seen in groups of two, three or four than were seen alone. Groups of two were most common, more than half of them containing one female with young-at-foot. Mixed-sex groups with one or several adult males were found.

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