Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Influencing Safety Behavior
via a Team Approach
CHAPTER
8.1 WHAT MAKES A GROUP OF PEOPLE A TEAM OR A FAMILY?
8.2 HOW DOES MIRRORING WORK?
8.3 MIRRORING AND TEAM CULTURE
8.4 MIRROR SYSTEMS AND BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
8.5 THE SCOPE OF MIRRORING
8.6 WHO CAN PLAY THE ROLE OF A CHALLENGER?
8.7 WHERE IN THE BRAIN?
8.8 SUMMARY
TIPS FOR TRANSFER
Now we switch our attention to the processes between people. These pro-
cesses have an enormous impact on our behavior, mostly on a noncon-
scious level. We easily think in terms of teams, but what is a team and
does such a thing exist? Relevant questions for this chapter are what the
influence of a team is on the behavior of its members and whether a mem-
ber can influence his team. In the theoretical framework about teams, the
role of the mirror system is crucial and will be discussed intensively. Once
we understand mirroring, we can also understand why changing the
behavior of a group is so difficult and what options we have to do so.
8.1 WHAT MAKES A GROUP OF PEOPLE A TEAM
OR A FAMILY?
It is obvious to everybody that families and teams exist. These groups
act as if they are an independent unit with their own personality.
Members experience themselves as being part of that group, and this
membership is even seen as a part of our personality. We think we are
somebody because we belong to family Y or team X).
Until recently, there was no good scientific theory that could sup-
port our layman
'
s idea, but brain research is changing this. New
