Group dynamics is a phenomenon widely studied in psychology. In it, an individual, who responds to a particular emotional state by being under the effects of the behaviors of others, tends to neglect his reasoning, to give up personal initiative, and to imitate others by doing what everyone else does.
A group is made up of two or more people who share a common identity, who interact, and who influence each other. A group could not be considered a set of people who, for example, wait in line to get on a lift.
The combination of cognitive and social factors influences the decision making involved in group behavior. According to the Theory of planned behavior, our decisions to behave in a certain way depend on three influences:
- The attitude toward our behavior as to whether it will lead to positive or negative consequences.
- Subjective norms, i.e., our perceived approval or disapproval of significant others in terms of behavioral performance.
- Perceived behavioral control in terms of whether or not we feel free to carry out the relevant actions.
To these factors we can add self-identification and group norms. Self-identification is the sense that distinguishes us from other skiers, i.e., being who we are rather than being overwhelmed by the pressures of others. But, for those who recognize themselves strongly with group members, self-identification becomes basically a function of group norms with these being the dominant influence.
The group to which we belong exerts a strong influence on almost every aspect of our skiing. The social environment modifies our behavioral performance by motivating or distracting us. Since it is impossible not to be influenced by others around, the behaviors of others affect our own, i.e., we are affected by what others are doing. Although we may not realize it, observing the actions of others affects our own skiing behavior.
Groups have norms, roles, and relationships. The members of a circumstantial group lesson are considered a temporary group that may or may not share these characteristics but they do not form a stable social group. A group of athletes who share training and seasonal competitions form an established group that provides social support and fosters a sense of belonging and identity. The type of group can affect individual performance and, while the general tendency is to increase it, when the goal is not clear and there are no individual contributions performance suffers.
Also, group norms tend to create pressure on group members to behave recklessly, especially in adolescent skiers. This is based on the implicit acceptance that, in certain groups, risky behavior is the norm and that behaving carefully is seen as childish. Therefore, this type of attitude leads to increased pressure to take greater risks due to the need to ‘fit in’ with group norms, leading to a larger tendency for boys to challenge existing safety guidelines.
Unconscious group behavior arises from the discrepancy between the perceived aptitude and our actual competence as being part of the group. We might overestimate our capabilities in challenging situations because we are not used to them, therefore, our aptitude to adjust to the new situation we are exposed to may not be ideal.
This would lead us to pay inappropriate attention to the effectiveness of our assessments and, with the support or influence of the group, assume that we may face risky situations and make unwise decisions that, in turn, will be doubly impaired because they are not corrected by subsequent conscious feedback.
Although we may have a positive attitude towards risky situations and respect the established rules, when we are part of a group, the group’s attitude may push us to behave riskily. There is then a tendency to adopt reckless attitudes by imitating the general behavior of the group even if we have no particular intention to behave in a risky manner. In these situations, the general behavior of the group acts as a direct pressure to act recklessly and converge on more demanding scenarios than our own resources can sustain.
On particular occasions, we may not be able to act according to our values or beliefs due to social pressure from the group in which we find ourselves or in front of others who are part of a particular environment, and this is due to two types of influences. In the informational influence we consider that the judgments and beliefs of others are better than our own. In the normative influence we agree with the norms in order not to be excluded and to remain part of the group.
A conflict arises from these two phenomena and this is maintaining the value of our own objectivity or not showing ourselves to be different from others. As being part of a group, it is not easy to act differently in moments when a decision must be made, for example, to define whether the descent on an off-piste is safe or not. Generally, in groups there is a great deal of pressure to act together so it is difficult for a member to deviate from the group consensus. These pressures have their purpose: to avoid conflict and maintain group cohesion and unity.
The situational conflicts when skiing in groups with different technical levels could be:
- Generally, the lower level ones accompany the rest but do not enjoy their own skiing.
- They feel pressured and tend to make more mistakes to maintain the group dynamics and not keep them waiting.
- They get tired because when they get to the place where the others are waiting, the latter quickly resume the descent, therefore, they are more prone to suffer a mishap.
- The higher level skiers choose easier slopes for the weaker ones but they ski faster demonstrating their skills which predisposes them to accidents.
- At a certain time, the difference in level within the same group causes annoyance.
