Group Dynamics Terminology

verb to cause someone to become hostile or angry

• It is not wise to antagonize your colleagues in the workplace.
• Don't antagonize your sister, she's already in a bad mood.
• If you keep antagonizing him, you're going to start a fight.
• His constant criticism seemed to antagonize her very soul.

noun a small, exclusive group of people who share similar interests or tastes

• The research team formed a clique to work together on the project.
• I heard that the popular kids at school have a clique that hangs out together all the time.
• I don't want to be part of their clique, they're too exclusive.
• In the world of politics, it's important to be part of the right clique to gain influence.

adjective well-integrated

• The research team worked together to ensure a cohesive presentation of their findings.
• We need to make sure all our ideas flow together smoothly to create a cohesive project.
• Let's stick together and keep this group project cohesive, okay?
• The different elements of the story came together like puzzle pieces to create a cohesive narrative.

noun a group of birds or animals that are gathered together

verb to come together in a group or crowd

• Birds of a feather flock together, meaning people with similar interests often spend time together.
• I've noticed that the cool kids always seem to flock together at school.
• Those two are always hanging out together, they really flock together.
• In times of crisis, people tend to flock together for support and comfort.

adjective describing something that lacks unity or coherence; not sticking together

• The noncohesive nature of the team's communication led to misunderstandings and inefficiencies.
• Our group project is so noncohesive - everyone is working on their own thing!
• The party was so noncohesive, people were just doing their own thing and not interacting much.
• The noncohesive plot of the movie left the audience confused and unsatisfied.

noun a process or action of excluding or banishing someone from a group or society

• The practice of ostracism was common in ancient Greece as a way to exile individuals from the community.
• Being on the receiving end of ostracism can be really hurtful.
• I heard she got ostracized from the group because of some drama.
• In today's society, social media has become a tool for virtual ostracism.

noun a person who specializes in the field of social psychology

• The social psychologist conducted a study on group behavior in a controlled setting.
• My friend is studying to become a social psychologist and she loves analyzing people's behavior.
• I heard that social psychologists are like mind readers, they can tell what you're thinking just by observing your actions.
• Being a social psychologist is like being a detective of human behavior, always trying to uncover the reasons behind people's actions.

noun room - a space that is enclosed or set apart for a particular purpose

verb read - to look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed matter by interpreting the characters or symbols

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to indicate whether a noun is specific or unspecific

• It is important to read the room before making any decisions in a business meeting.
• Hey, can you read the room and tell me if now is a good time to bring up the topic?
• Dude, you really need to read the room before you say something like that.
• She failed to read the room and continued to make jokes at a somber event.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb

• In a research study, the data was analyzed based on different groupsvidual characteristics.
• Let's split up into groupsviduals and work on different parts of the project.
• I prefer working with my own groupsviduals rather than joining a big team.
• Each groupsvidual in the choir brings a unique voice to the performance.