a. Give the definition of "Group" in your own words.

A group is a set of people who have the same interests or aims, and who organize themselves to work or act together.

b. Describe the detailed characteristics of the groups.

Interdependence: The mutual dependence of group members on one another.

Common Goal: The driving force that brings people together to form.

Group Personality: The collective identity that people form.

Commitment: The desire of group members to work together to complete their task to the satisfaction of the entire group.

Cohesiveness: The attraction that group members feel for each other and their willingness to stick together.

Group Conflict: The openly expressed hostility between groups and mutual interference in each other's activities

Social Facilitation: The tendency for a person to release energy that would not be released if the individual were acting alone.

Gender Differences: The differences in psychology and behavior between men and women

Group Size: The number of people in a group.

Norms: The expected and shared ways in which group members behave.

c. How to make the group members get into a positive participation during the group communication?

Relevance: Members’ comments should pertain to the topic and goals of the discussion at hand and should deviate only when tension needs to be released.

Relatedness: To make sure that contributions tie in with what has been said before and what is apt to be said next.

Timeliness: To give more impact to a good idea, you should introduce it at a favorable time so that it gets the group’s full attention and consideration.

Sufficient Length: To make sure that the comment you contribute is long enough to make your point.

Clarity: To avoid misunderstandings, define your terms and provide examples to ensure a common ground.

Informativeness: Make sure that your statement is accurate and objective. Cite source of information when appropriate, and select sources that are not biased.

Openness to evaluation: Criticism should not be ignored or avoided. And members must remember that evaluation can be constructive only when they focus on the contribution and not on the person.

Provocativeness: Asking questions, challenging ideas, and disagreeing can be valuable contributions as long as their goal is to make the final group product the best one possible.