How can we explain the behavior of groups towards each other? We of course use social identity theory. Also, to understand the behavior and cognition of individuals in relation to their social/collectivist contexts – more like African psychology – and to put the collectivist self into context. (Hogg and Williams, 2000). According to this theory, being part of a group is important to an individual because it helps them define themselves and have a more positive outlook on life. This essay will focus on intergroup behavior and social identity formation to explain the behavior of gang members. (Swartz, De la Rey, Duncan, Townsend, & O'Neill, 2016)Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Loneliness arises from needs for affection and connections with others, which are, of course, unsatisfied (Blair & Justice, 2007). At the end of the day, no one wants to be sad and unhappy, right? This is one of the main reasons that lead to the formation of groups. The formation of a group goes through certain processes, namely training (familiarization stage), storming (conflict stage), normalization (more homogeneous behavior), performance (cooperation stage) and deferment (Swartz, De la Rey, Duncan, Townsend, & O. 'Neill, 2016). All groups generally have their own purpose that justifies their existence, as the basic purpose of gangs is to provide a sense of protection and belonging that one would normally get from family. (Goldman, Giles, & Hogg, 2014). Everyone in the gang assumes their own role, like any other specification of group membership, and its members often occupy different positions, for example gang leader. (Swartz, De la Rey, Duncan, Townsend, & O'Neill, 2016) Decision-making in groups, especially smaller ones, is strongly influenced by different processes. Groupthink occurs when everyone agrees with decisions made in the group, usually by a leader, for the sake of cohesion and "peace" (usually ends in bad decisions); group polarization occurs when the individual's initials become more extreme after group "meetings" (people become persuaded) (Swartz, De la Rey, Duncan, Townsend, & O'Neill, 2016) and social cognition refers to the way we process information and it is common. in social situations, people blindly follow certain ideas without question (Howard, 2000). This is common in gangs because, for example, if the decision to attack is made by a leader, even if a member does not agree, it is done without question. Social influence refers to a person changing their ideologies based on their social context. Conformity is an example of such an influence; it arises from a certain form of social pressure; separated into informational social influence (what others tell us is right) and normative social influence (when you just want to be liked). Obedience is when a person changes their behavior because someone in power asked them to (you can't do that) and compliance is when you comply with someone's demands just to fit in. (Swartz, De la Rey, Duncan, Townsend, & O'Neill, 2016) Gang members are particularly more likely to adhere to a certain type of social influence because they want to be accepted by their gangs and will go out of their way to receive this acceptance. (Wood, 2014)Intergroup behavior refers to the way in which the behavior of people belonging to a group..