A group of volunteers is formed overnight to run a relief camp after a flood. The members start working on the task at once, while they are still getting to know one another and settling their rules. Which of the following best explains this?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Several stages of group formation can go on at the same time.
Option (1) Several stages of group formation can go on at the same time. — Correct. Groups do not always move from one stage to the next in a fixed order. Here the volunteers work on the task while still getting to know each other and settling rules, so several stages are going on at once.
Option (2) The group is in the storming stage, with conflict over control. — Incorrect. Storming is the stage of conflict among members about the task and who will lead. The volunteers show no such conflict, so storming does not explain the case.
Option (3) The group shows extreme cohesiveness, which leads to groupthink. — Incorrect. Groupthink is a result of extreme cohesiveness, where members agree without thinking critically. A group formed overnight has not built strong togetherness, and no poor decision is described.
Option (4) The group is in the forming stage, marked by uncertainty about its goals. — Incorrect. Forming is the first stage, when members are unsure about the group and its goal. It explains only the getting to know each other, not the work going on at the same time.
NCERT (2026-27): “Stages of Group Formation … “During the process of group formation, groups also develop a structure. We should remember that group structure develops as members interact. Over time this interaction shows regularities in distribution of task to be performed, responsibilities assigned to members, and the prestige or relative status of members.” |