Sociometry is a scientific approach to understanding group dynamics through mathematical and scientific techniques. It aims to improve group harmony by analyzing the natural relationships that exist within a group and making changes accordingly. This can lead to better attendance, morale, and employee retention. The process involves analyzing the underlying patterns of group behavior and understanding the motivations of different group members. This can be embarrassing or difficult, but it has the potential to help the group come together better.
Sociometry is a scientific approach to manipulating group dynamics created in the 1950s by a psychotherapist named Jacob Moreno. The basic method behind sociometry is for the therapist to study the natural relationships that exist in a group using mathematical and scientific techniques, come to understand why the relationships exist within the group, and then make changes allowing for a greater of group harmony. In conception, sociometry is generally not intended simply for analysis, but rather was designed as something that people could potentially apply in everyday situations to enhance different types of group interactions.
When people come together in a group, they often make very quick decisions about their role in the group and the roles of everyone around them. These decisions are often very intuitive and generally emerge spontaneously throughout the group without anyone necessarily having to acknowledge them. The reasons for these kinds of decisions can be hard to decipher, but they often have a certain universality that causes things to quickly fall into place. Over time, the actions and behaviors of people within the group will help further define the initial pecking order, along with alliances and other dynamics.
Sociometry seeks to analyze these underlying patterns to understand exactly what people are thinking and why. The idea is to actually turn all of this information into something that can be analyzed through mathematics. After looking at the numbers, the sociometrist tries to analyze the data and put it into practice in some way that results in improvements for the group.
There are many different ways of applying sociometry that could allow a group to function more effectively. For example, after performing a sociometric analysis, an entrepreneur might decide to change his work teams so that they fit better together. He could also decide to remove some employees who are naturally harmful to the social order in the workplace. Ultimately, this kind of change could lead to better attendance, better morale, and better employee retention.
Often during the initial group analysis, there will be a public airing of the motivations of different group members. This can sometimes be embarrassing or difficult for members, but it also has the potential to help the group come together better. Once individuals in the group understand the reasons for their roles and how everyone looks at each other, they sometimes naturally change their behaviors in ways that make the group function more effectively.
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