ABSTRACT
Human beings are inherently social animals, and most of what we do involves participation in groups. Starting at birth, we are members of families; as we grow, we become members of friendship groups, classrooms, sports teams, to name a few; in adulthood we often become members of new family groups as well as work groups, religious groups, and so on. In each of the groups to which we belong, our behavior is likely to be influenced by other group members. Even young babies show evidence of this interconnectedness. For example, babies who receive consistent warmth and attention from their parents tend to develop into secure adults. In school, children’s learning can be affected by other students in the class as well as by their teachers. For example, having a very disruptive child in the class may negatively impact all students’ learning, but having a highly motivated teacher can raise all of his or her students’ learning. Likewise, in adulthood, people’s productivity in the workplace can be affected by the quality of their relationships with co-workers, the leadership style of their manager, or even the broader corporate culture.
