ABSTRACT
Groups have a long history of influencing individual behavior. For example, Christians believe that the very existence of humankind had its origins in group influenced behavior. Without the existence of the first small group, Adam and Eve, Eve would not have exerted group pressure on Adam to bite the apple. Without Adam eating the apple, this first small group would not have been sent out from the Garden of Eden to populate the earth. This (mostly) frivolous example of the influence of groups on individual behavior highlights some fundamental characteristics that define groups (Marrow, 1969). First, the minimum number of people necessary for a group is two. Second, the influence of groups does not always lead to positive outcomes. Third, group members usually have a common fate (e.g. both Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden). Fourth, there are important group processes related to interaction and communication that move the group towards a common goal. Fifth, these group processes can exert an exceptional motivational influence on members (Marrow, 1969).
