Group Minds Lessing Analysis

Being in a group effects others individuals causing them to stop thinking rationally, they make decisions to fit in with the rest of the group. In the article “The Monsters

Groupthink can be defined as a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in irrational decision-making. In 1971, twenty-four psychologically stable men took part in a trial known as The Stanford Prison Experiment. The purpose of the experiment was to prove that an individual’s perception of their own power is heavily influenced by social context and societal expectations of their role. The men involved in the experiment were assigned either the role of a prisoner or a guard to represent positions in society, both with power and without. More specifically, the conductors of The Stanford Prison Experiment focused on analyzing the different behavioral

In conclusion there has been evidence to show that groups have both a negative and also a positive effect on its members. It has been demonstrated that some people will cope with the negative effects in an unproductive way by changing their behaviour in way that was detrimental to the well being of themselves and its other members. However the positives can have a very powerful effect on a person in that it can promote a sense of identity, loyalty and

This is modeled by the fact that people being in groups, causes them to act and think differently than they would have if they had been alone. In her essay, Tavris uses many examples of this: In the case of Kitty Genovese or the late Rodney King who was beat to death by police officers. People have a tendency to act differently in groups, others suffer due to people not wanting to “rock the boat” or they do not want to “embarrass themselves or others if they are wrong” (19). Tavris offers a solution to the way people act in groups, “By understanding the impulse to diffuse responsibility, perhaps as individuals we will be more likely to act. By understanding the social pressures that reward group-think, loyalty and obedience, we can foster those that reward whistle blowing and moral courage. And, as a society, we can reinforce the belief that they also sing who stand and watch” (19). If civilization can solve the dilemma of people acting differently when they are in groups with others, the world could be a much improved place.

Dismissing your own individual opinions to reach group consensus, now that’s negative peer pressure! Peer pressure will always be a problem and can affect anyone. I say that because no matter where you’re from or who you are, peer pressure is lurking about. Anytime you’re pressured to do something and your conscience is telling you not to do it, and you follow through with the task anyway, that is dismissing your opinion just to please other group members. Not wanting to be ostracized by others is the basis of conformity. Peer pressure doesn’t discriminate against race, nationality, or social class. It’s like a plague waiting to spread like wildfire throughout your school, your

When people are part of a group, they often start to deviate from their personalities, and tend to focus on the opinions and actions of the group. Groups can generate a sense of engaging energy, which can lead to behaviors that a person would not typically engage in if they were alone. People seem to believe that certain behaviors are acceptable when they are in groups that would otherwise not be acceptable if they were alone. Many people believe they cannot be held responsible for their actions when they are with a group because they see the

Social influences shape every person's practices, judgments, and beliefs. (Asch 306) In "Opinions and Social Pressure", Solomon Asch examines how individuals tend to conform to a group or majority. He does this by explaining the results of his experiment that he devised to observe to what extent conformity occurs. In her essay titled "Group Minds", Doris Lessing claims that as a society we have enough knowledge about conformity to do something about it, yet we choose not to. Although Doris Lessing and Solomon Asch both suggest that people desire independence yet yield to conformity, Asch's experiment adds specificity to Lessing's claims. Lessing speaks generally about groups and the effect they have on conformity, whereas Asch's experiment

In the following paper, I will be supporting Nietzsche’s theme that being part of a group can be harmful to individuality. I will support this claim by showing that a person’s behavior changes based on the groups they identify themselves to be in. In the book Subliminal, Leonard Mlodinow discusses different studies at length to prove that unconsciously, people are apt to behave differently once they identify themselves to be in a group. Studies have shown different cognitive biases and unconscious forms of behavior are heavily influenced by external factors. One factor that is especially influential is being part of an in-group or out-group, which creates a dynamic where perception and overall behavior towards self and others is greatly changed. In this essay, I will first show evidence from Nietzsche’s writings that support the claim, including his ideas on conformity and the herd versus the higher man. Then, I will discuss the article Nietzsche’s Sociology by Patrik Aspers, where he deliberates the sociology of Nietzsche’s ideas and discusses his contempt for groups, and shows that although there was an inevitable evolution of humanity that needed groups, they do not serve humanity beneficially. Afterwards, I will present empirical evidence of human behavior changing based on the groups they feel they are a part of. Finally, I will conclude by tying Nietzsche’s ideas on conformity with the observed changes in human behavior to

As human beings, each person on earth possesses a desire to belong. In order to meet this need, one must find a way to fit in with a group. Yet somehow, once a group has been joined, humans tend to take on the ideas and opinions of the group without analyzing the situation for themselves. Doris Lessing, in her essay, “Group Minds”, proposes the idea that humans spend their whole life going along with the group because they fail to analyze the reasons behind their actions. While Lessing’s idea is valid, no one has yet successfully implemented her plan.

The term groupthink in this report is defined as, the social psychological phenomenon that results in groups during pressure situations. This social psychology theory is broken down into eight signs. Illusion of invulnerability, Collective rationalization, Belief in inherent morality, Stereotyped views of out-groups, Direct pressure on dissenters, Self-censorship, Illusion of unanimity, Self-appointed “mindguards”. According to research conducted by Irving Janis, there are three conditions to groupthink. The first, "high group cohesiveness" which is the direction for a group to be in unity while working towards a goal, or to satisfy the emotional needs of its members. Secondly, the structural faults such as insulation of the group, lack

Groupthink theory often occurs without the group’s realization. Irving Janis formed 8 different symptoms that indicate groupthink. The first of these symptoms is illusions of vulnerability. This occurs when members of the group are overly optimistic and believe that nothing negative will arise from their decision. Janis describes it as taking great risks and acquiring the attitude of “everything is going to be OK, because we are a special group”. Secondly we have belief in inherent morality. This symptom is characterized as the groups thought that they could do no wrong. They believe that they have high morality, that they are right in all situations and they ignore the ethical consequences that could arise because of their decisions. As the third

Seeing the growth of small group assignments on college campuses, Garner and Iba (2015) examined the potential drawbacks in such groups. Ostracism that is created by dissenting with a small group decision is purported to be the focus of this study. The researchers delve deeply into dissent and ostracism research at the beginning of this article and propose two hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that group members that dissent either in idea or process dissent will be rated as less attractive. The second is that participants in groups with a dissenting individual, either idea (H1a) or process, will be less satisfied with the experience. The researchers also propose a research question of how eye contact will relate to dissenters. The reason

Furthermore, groupthink and group polarization also occurred in the movie. Groupthink is the tendency for members to reach solidarity, and the group often avoids questions that could lead to disputes (Iurchevici, 2016). In order for groupthink to occur, the group must be highly cohesive, in a group structure, and in a stressful situation (Kassin et al., 2013). All three of these were present in the movie, as the members of the group

do not like to stand in in a crowd. This is not always a bad thing. Rebecca Saxe says that “Groups create important social institutions that an individual could not achieve alone.” Meaning that even though some bad things can occur so positive might also come along.

Three years ago, I considered myself an insecure individual that lacked both the self-esteem and confidence to approach fellow classmates in my class, let alone socializing with others and making worthy friends. As a result of trying to be socially relevant, I sacrificed some of my own virtues and beliefs as a way to change my outsider image and conform with the rest of my peers. This essay will be reflecting upon a time in my life where I was participating in groupthink, which is defined as “group pressure to conform despite individual misgiving” (Brym and Lie 2018). Furthermore, I will be linking the sociological theory of symbolic interactionism to my personal experience with groupthink. Finally, the sociological imagination of the concept will be used to link this personal issue to the social structure of society as a whole.