Human Groups - W.J.H. Sprott - Editorial Foreword

Sep 28, 2026

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Human Groups by W.J.H. Sprott examines social psychology through the lens of small, face-to-face human groups, contrasting it with earlier social psychology grounded in broader concepts of nations and societies at large. The editorial foreword frames the discipline as theory built on scientific evidence from planned field observations and experiments, while emphasizing conceptual analysis. Central to the discussion is the notion of a “social group,” its distinction from a “logical class,” and the practical difficulties in applying these categories to real-world examples.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages228

Reading Time5 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Editorial Foreword

Defining the Field

The Members of the Group

The Study of Small Groups

Permanent Small Groups I: The Family

Permanent Small Groups II: The Village

Permanent Small Groups II: The Neighbourhood

Experimental Groups I: Working Together

Experimental Groups II: Communication and Patterns of Interaction

Experimental Groups III: Group Structures

Crowds and other Groups

Applications

References

Index

a Pelican Book 95c Human Groups W.J.H.Sprott E.Johnson Taylor W.J.H.Sprott was born in 1897 at Crowborough,Sussex.He was educated at Felstead,Essex,and atClare College,Cambridge,where he took the MoralSciences Tripos.He was invalided out of the army inthe First World War,and taught in preparatoryschools.He was appointed demonstrator at thePsychological Laboratory,Cambridge,and laterbecame a lecturer at University College,Nottingham,and subsequently Professor of Philosophy at theUniversity of Nottingham.He is now Head of theDepartment of Psychology,which is responsible forthe teaching of sociology and psychology.His booksinclude General Psychology,Sociology,Social Psycho-logy,Science and Social Action;some of them havebeen translated into French,Italian,Hebrew,andJapanese. Though he is a student of group psychology,Pro- fessor Sprott is nevertheless a confirmed‘non-joiner'. Cover design by Barry Trengove For a complete list of books availableplease write to Penguin Bookswhose address can be found on theback of the title page PELICAN BOOKSA346 # HUMAN GROUPSW.J.H.SPROTT HUMAN GROUPS W.J.H.SPROTT Penguin Books Ltd,Harmondsworth,Middlesex U.S.A.:Penguin Books Inc.,3300 Clipper Mill Road,Baltimore 11,MdAUSTRALIA:Penguin Books Pty Ltd,762 Whitehorse Road,Mitcham,Victoria 一 First published 1958Reprinted 1962,1963 一 Copyright ◎W.J.H.Sprott,1958 一 Made and printed in Great Britainby Cox and Wyman Ltd,London,Reading,and FakenhamSet in Monotype Times This book is sold subject to the conditionthat it shall not,by way of trade,be lent,re-sold,hired out,or otherwise disposedof without the publisher's consentin any form of binding or coverother than that in whichit is published CONTENTS EDITORIAL FOREWORD7 1.Defining the Field9 2.The Members of the Group23 3.The Study of Small Groups39 4.Permanent Small Groups I:THE FAMILY57 5.Permanent Small GroupsII:THE VILLAGE74 6.Permanent Small GroupsII:THE NEIGHBOURHOOD89 7.Experimental Groups I:WORKING TOGETHER106 8.Experimental Groups II:COMMUNICATION AND PATTERNS OF 121 INTERACTION 9.Experimental Groups: 138 III:GROUP STRUCTURES 10.Crowds and other Groups 160 182 11.Applications 201 REFERENCES 215 INDEX Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2023 with funding fromNo Sponsor https://archive.org/details/humangroups0000na # EDITORIAL FOREWORD SoCIAL psychology today differs from the Social Psychology of theearlier decades of this century in two main respects.Firstly,itstheoretical content is based on scientific evidence gained by plannedobservations either in field studies or through experiment.Secondly,it is more immediately concerned with the smaller and simpler face-to-face groups than with more complex organizations such as'a nation'or ‘society at large'. Some of the classics of the old social psychology,such as Le Bon'sThe Crowd,McDougall's The Group Mind,and Ginsberg's Psychologyof Society,may still be read with profit;but they do not tell us muchthat we did not know before or which we couldnot have known beforeif we had thought about the subject as much as had the authors ofthese works.These works were guides to systematic reflection.Theirabiding value lies in their contribution to the analysis of some of thebasic concepts required for the description and the ordering of thefacts. This volume is full of interesting factual material,but it also carriesover to the new social psychology and applies to the study of smallgroups,this tradition of conceptual analysis.Indeed,the book openswith the discussion of one concept which is central to any kind ofsocial psychology-the concept of a‘social group'and its distinctionfrom a'logical class'-a distinction simple enough to see and to state,but not so easy to apply in particular cases. It was the Cambridge philosopher McTaggart who liked to illustratethe concept of a logical class by reference to 'red-haired archdeacons’.The class of red-haired archde

FAQs

How does social psychology today differ from earlier social psychology, according to the foreword?

It differs in that its theoretical content is based on scientific evidence from planned observations (field studies or experiments) and that it focuses more on smaller, simpler face-to-face groups than on larger organizations such as a nation or society at large.

What is the central concept discussed in the book’s opening discussion?

The foreword highlights the concept of a “social group” and its distinction from a “logical class,” a difference that is easy to state but not so easy to apply in particular cases.

Why does the foreword warn that the “Smiths” example may not always hold?

It notes that, while some groups like “the Smiths” may form a logical class rather than a social group, other named groups (such as the Campbells, McDonalds, McGregors) and categories like “the pedestrians” can be doubtful or can change depending on circumstances.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi