You are going to read an extract from a magazine article about psychology. Five paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-F the one which fits each gap (36- 40). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
Unless you're a loner, you're probably a member of many different groups. Some are long lasting, like your family, while others, such as a football crowd, are temporary. Every group functions in different ways but there are still some common psychological features to any group.
(36) __________
Being part of a group changes the way you behave. The presence of others has a generally arousing effect on the nervous system. This is natural-you don't know what they will do. They may move about, speak to you, or even attack you, and your brain has to pay attention to all these messages. Having others around is just distracting. It divides your attention, so you can't focus on the task in hand.
(37) __________
But when it comes to complex tasks, the prospect of not being evaluated may free you from anxiety, so encouraging you to perform better. To test this, psychologists asked volunteers to carry out a complex computer task in separate rooms. Some were told performance would be evaluated individually - causing performance anxiety - while others were told the results would be averaged with the rest of the group. As expected, the second group did better than the first.
(38) __________
The problem becomes even worse when individuals are disguised with war paint or uniforms. Analysis shows that the more people there are in a mob, the greater the antisocial behaviour. Being 'submerged' within a group does have many negative connotations but it's not always a bad thing. Instead of thinking about a rowdy mob, think of relaxing, dancing and enjoying yourself at a party where you are also just a part of the crowd.
(39) __________
But surprisingly, research has shown that the use of this technique by groups isn't that effective in either the number or quality of ideas generated. You get better results if you set people to work individually on a problem. We also tend to assume that decisions made by groups are better than those made by individuals, which is why we form committees.
(40) __________
But any group can get a decision badly wrong because their thought processes can go awry. This is a process psychologists call 'groupthink'. A close-knit group of advisers isolated from argument and criticism can grow to believe they can do no wrong. The group then becomes more important than the individuals who are part of it. Further, a leadership style which concentrates on the group rather than the individual can contribute to this.
For a group and its behaviour are shaped by who is in charge and the roles the other members play. A good front man or woman is persuasive, not directive, communicates and speaks clearly, listens well and appeals to group members' emotions and feelings as well as thoughts and ideas. Many, but not all, leaders show dominance in the group. But the dominant person in the group doesn't always make the best leader, and it isn't necessarily true that having the smartest people always makes for the most successful group.
A. This lack of individual accountability may lead to people letting go of their inhibitions - a process known as 'deindividuation'. Sometimes this is dangerous, releasing violent and impulsive behaviours that individuals would never dream of indulging in alone.
B. They have a need for power, characterised by talking a lot, wanting to be listened to and to make decisions. In a group it can be easy to spot the dominant people. They make eye contact, point and even touch people but don't encourage return gestures. Such behaviour studies have been key in shaping business organisation.
C. For example, in general, humans are social animals, that's why we get together in groups in the first place. Important elements of our individual identity come from being part of a group. Most people enjoy being in a group - it's a way of forming emotionally satisfying relationships.
D. But it has to be a carefully selected team, not a randomly generated group, if creative decisions are to be made. In fact, theory on team building has shown that it is better if people work in small teams of complementary pairs. Big teams don't get anything done, even though people like them.
E. So, how does all this stimulation affect achievement? It has been argued that people do better on simple well-rehearsed activities when they're with others than when they are alone. Also, if their individual efforts within the group are not being monitored, there's a tendency to relax and merge into the crowd.
F. Another positive feature of groups is that they generate ideas and opinions, and use these to make decisions. That's why the modern trend in teaching is for students to work in small groups to prepare presentations and why brainstorming is so popular in the work context.
(38) __________




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Các câu hỏi liên quan

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 35 to 44.

Charles Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1902 but was raised on a farm in Minnesota, where his father was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1907. From then on, he spent his boyhood alternately in Washington, D.C, and Little Falls, Minnesota. Because Lindbergh exhibited exceptional mechanical talent, in 1921 he was admitted to the university of Wisconsin to study engineering. However the young man was seeking more challenging endeavors, and two years later he became a stunt pilot who performed feats at county fairs and public assemblies. This unusual and dangerous undertaking paid off handsomely in the sense that it allowed him to gain a diverse and well- rounded experience in aeronautics. He particularly delighted in what he called "wing-walking" and parachute jumping.
After a year of training as a military cadet, Lindbergh completed his program at the Brooks and Kelly airfields at the top of his class and earned the rank of captain. Roberton Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri, offered him employment as a mail pilot to run the routes between St. Louis and Chicago, and Lindbergh retained his position with the company until 1927. During this period, he set out to win the Raymond B. Orteig prize of $ 25,000 to be awarded to the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. This ambition would irreversibly change his life and accord him a prominent place in the history of aviation.
Embarking on the greatest adventure of his time, Lindbergh left Roosevelt Field at 7:52 A.M on May, 20, 1927, and landed at Bourget Field at 5:24 P.M the next day. Fearing that he would be unknown when he arrived, Lindbergh carried letters of introduction to dignitaries in Paris, but when his plane came to a stop, he was overwhelmed by tremendous welcoming crowds. He was decorated in France, Great Britain, and Belgium, and President Coolidge sent a specially designated cruiser, the Memphis, to bring him back. His accomplishments in aeronautics brought him more medals and awards than had ever been received by any other person in private life.
A paragraph following the passage would most probably discuss




A.the development of commercial and military aviation
B.the reaction of the government to Lindbergh's flight
C.the effect of instant celebrity on Lindbergh
D.Lindbergh 's aircraft and engine modifications