Groupthink : A Group 's ' Strivings For Unanimity Override Their Motivation

     What is groupthink? There is a simple definition for it, but is it truly that simple? The term groupthink refers to the inclination of group members to have the same opinions and beliefs; it frequently leads to mistakes. It often occurs without an individual being aware of it. Conflict is considered to be a harmful element when related to groups, but conflict is good when considering groupthink because it helps to eliminate the existence of a groupthink. The explanation sounds simple enough, but it is more complex than the description given.

For instance, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Executive committee met every day to get the best outcome for the crisis. The outcome of the Cuban missile crisis was a positive outcome of groupthink. The outcomes for France’s defeat and the Challenger Incident were both negative outcomes because they didn’t use all of their resources and allowed themselves to skip steps and be close-minded. These events define groupthink because they all included inherently risky situations and symptoms of

This case, as well as the previous two, are prime examples of how detrimental groupthink can have on the effect of your career or the lives of several others. It may not always be easy to recognize the dangers or altercations groupthink may have, which is why you should always appoint ‘mind guards’ to contradict the decisions made within a group setting. It is always beneficial to seek an outside source for their opinion, as it may be just the idea that the group has

Groupthink – situation in a group that is characterized by strong pressure to arrive at consensus, a high degree of agreement and conformity, and/or defence of group decision even in the face of evidence proving these decisions to be wrong or senseless.

When groupthink does in fact occur, it is because the “group’s balance tilts towards maintaining cohesiveness and harmony rather than toward thinking critically.” (Galanes & Adams, 2013, p. 268) The resultant outcome of groupthink usually has negative impacts. According to social psychologist Irving Janis, there are eight documented symptoms of groupthink: Illusion of invulnerability, Collective rationalization, Belief in inherent morality, stereotyped views of out-groups, direct

When groups exhibit groupthink the end result is disastrous decision making. This was evident concerning the decision regarding postwar Iraq with all the looting. The self-censoring of doubts presented a false picture and only served to maintain a false unity that gave an illusion of unanimity. Placing direct pressure resulted in an estimate filled with data that was not iron clad. Instead of narrowing down on one course of action, as in

When reviewing the concepts of groupthink, it is important for one to realize that not all group based decisions are necessarily bad decisions. The concept of groupthink and the negative results that arise are based on the reality that group decisions are made without regard to alternative measures, validity of information, or risks and consequences associated with such decisions. Groupthink seems to dispatch the critical thinking skills of the individuals in the process and decisions made can have disastrous results. The following essay will discuss the results of groupthink decisions made by the United States government that lead to Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as critical errors made by US command that greatly increased the impact

In reality, the commanders involved in the operation chose not to trust the intelligence available to them. The failure to utilize the Dutch resistance forces for human intelligence, or the allied signals intelligence capability to decipher enemy messages, led to the undermanned and unprepared operation we know today. With implementation of all of the intelligence assets available, multiple new avenues of approach would have become available to strategic and tactical commanders. These concepts could have been implemented into the early advancement into Germany through Arnhem, and a considerable decrease in time to end the war in

In “The Rise of the New Groupthink,” Susan Cain argues that working independently stimulates ingenuity. Some of the most innovative people are generally reserved (14).

Diversity is important to mitigate two threats to group effectiveness. First, the Asch Effect, distortion of individual judgement by a unanimous but incorrect opposition. (p. 290). Second, Group think, when in a cohesive in-group, members strive for unanimity and override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action. (p. 292).

Groupthink is a phenomenon throughout history that has led to disastrous results. The Oxford Dictionary defines groupthink as “The practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility:” In this paper, I will illustrate three examples in history that highlight the negative effects of groupthink. William H. Whyte originally came up with groupthink terminology and then in the 1970’s Irving Janis followed up with more research on the subject. Janis identified three groupthink warnings. They are directive leadership, group homogeneity, and group isolation.

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

A topic this week that stood out to me from week 5 readings was in Chapter 9, Foundations of Group Behavior. Chapter 9 is all about group. What I found interesting and new to read upon was about groupthink. I did not know that groupthink is related to norms. I found out that groupthink is considered to be related to norms because it describes situations in which “group pressures for conformity deter that group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views” (Robbins, Organizational Behavior 16th). Groupthink is associated with faulty decisions due to mental/moral efficiency. This subject made it interesting to me because I have a degree in historical and political studies. I think back to the time I learned about the Vietnam

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