Groupthink

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Groupthink

• Emily Vermilya
• February 5, 2008

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Definition

• Groupthink
• A style of group decision making characterized
  by a greater desire among members to get along
  and agree with one another than to generate and
  critically evaluate alternative viewpoints and
  positions. (Kenrick, Neuberg, and Cialdini, p.
  442)
• Because of pressure for agreement, group members
  often fail to converse with each other in
  beneficial discussion, which often results in
  easily avoided mistakes

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• As group members become overconfident and begin
  to believe (perhaps falsely) that everyone agrees
  on the proper course of action, their discussions
  fall prey to a variety of defective processes.
  They FAIL
• To consider their objective thoroughly
• To survey alternative solutions
• To examine the risks associated with the
  preferred choice
• To plan for the possibility that their solutions
  will go wrong

• As a result, group members are more likely to
  make bad decisions.
• (Kenrick, Neuberg, and Cialdini, p. 442)

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• Lots of factors interact which determine the
  outcome of a group discussion
• Decisions are better when group members are
  FOCUSED ON
• The task, not social harmony
• When leaders encourage group members to mention
  alternative viewpoints
• When groups have procedures to ensure that
  members evaluate all proposals and gather outside
  feedback
• (Kenrick, Neuberg, and Cialdini, p. 442)

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Some Examples

• JFKs Bay of Pigs Invasion
• Richard Nixons cover-up of Watergate
• Challenger Disaster
• Pearl Harbor
• Iranian Hostage Crisis

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References

• Kenrick, D., Neuberg, S., and Cialdini, R.
  (2002). Social psychology Unraveling the mystery
  (2nd Ed.) Boston Allyn and Bacon.
• http//faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/TWAssoc/groupt
  hink.html