Pratkanis u n iversitt oj calijornia, s anta cruz in this paper, we examine the historical development of the groupthink model and discuss recenl responses to the body of. Groupthink reduces the efficiency of collective problem solving within such groups. The psychological phenomenon of groupthink with examples. Groupthink is often characterized by the dehumanization of victims, a sense of invulnerability and an immoral, unethical or irrational decision making. Jan 16, 2020 the important thing about groupthink is that it works not so much by censoring dissent as by making dissent seem somehow improbable. Victims of groupthink hold stereotypes views of the leaders of enemy groups. For symptoms of groupthink, janis listed eight symptoms grouped into three types.
In turn, the symptoms of groupthink cause seven different symptoms. Groupthink prevails when the need to conform is operating. The problemsolving process that prevents groupthink. Groupthink is a theory dedicated to understanding the decisionmaking process in small groups.
Groupthink causes them to shut off the outside influence and work as per their own following and groupthink. Members believe that their group can do no wrong 3. Research limitationsimplications groupthink as a theoretical idea is well. In order to do this, people need to understand what groupthink is. Groupthink is a common factor in bad decisionmaking and serious ethical breaches. Irving lester janis developed a study on decision making based on human social behavior in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is felt more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner. As a result of their illusions, the group may not currently. Symptoms of groupthink include invulnerability, inherent morality, rationalization, stereotyped views of opposition, selfcensorship, illusion of unanimity, peer pressure, and mindguards.
As a result, the financial auditing process is now. We fail to speak up or offer an alternative idea in group meetings and discussion simply because we want to. Unless the organizations leaders take an active role in making certain groupthink is monitored and corrected when appropriate. The list of groupthink investments that have gone terribly wrong over the years is a long one. Most or all of the members of the ingroup share an illusion of invulnerability that provides for them some degree of reassurance about obvious dangers and leads them to become overoptimistic and willing to take extraordinary risks. Aldag and sally riggs fuller in the past two decades, there has been a substantial increase in emphasis on groups in organizations in general e. Its other downside, he said, is that it is wasteful of one of our best resources. Groupthink happens when groups strive for extreme consensus at the cost of effective decision making. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness, in a group may produce a tendency among its members to agree at all costs. The symptoms of groupthink arise when the members of decisionmaking groups become motivated to avoid being too harsh in their judgments of their leaders.
What are some examples of groupthink and what was the. Groupthink has become a widely studied and accepted phenomenon. The group is so concerned with maintaining unanimity that they fail to evaluate all. Illusion of invulnerability creates excessive optimism that encourages taking. Diverse perspectives on the groupthink theory a literary.
As a result, groupthink has been blamed for decision making fiascoes in politics, the military, as well as in business. Groupthink is a term first used in 1972 by social psychologist irving l. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Some groups are quick to make decisions to maintain cohesion, but this can be a critical mistake to make. There are several symptoms of groupthink that contribute to negative.
A psychological study of foreign policy decisions and fiascoes by irving l. In groupthink in his classic 1972 study, victims of groupthink. Evaluating janis groupthink model of faulty decision. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decisionmaking outcome.
More mundane, but no less important, is the effect groupthink has on businesses and corporations every day. Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations. Pdf groupthink, as traditionally conceived, is a failure in group decision making that occurs in highly cohesive groups. Research into the phenomenon ofgroupthink is a pertinent area of study that involves understanding how group processes influence the making of decisions. In many cases, people will set aside their own personal beliefs or adopt the opinion of the rest of the group. Groupthink definition, causes and ways to prevent it. When groupthink occurs, in other words, the benefits of diversity can be lost. James surowiecki groupthink being a coinage and, admittedly, a loaded one a working definition is in order. What are the signs that group loyalty has caused members to slip into a group think mentality. The list is an adaptation of the table presented by sims 1992, p. Groupthink occurs when a group of wellintentioned people make irrational or nonoptimal decisions spurred by the urge to conform or the discouragement of dissent. Baron department of psychology university of iowa running head.
It is most often present in groups that are not open to the public, such as small religious groups or some social activist organizations. Examining the symptoms of groupthink and retrospective. Moormead 1991 applied the groupthink model on the decision making process and found that symptoms and antecedents of groupthink were replicated in this fiasco. His initial works sparked an explosion of research into how group. It is believed that groupthink was operating during the bay of pigs. Janis suggested that groupthink happens when there is.
Groupthink definition groupthink refers to decisionmaking groups extreme concurrence seeking conformity that is hypothesized to result in highly defective judgments and outcomes. He identified eight symptoms that he identified eight symptoms that are grouped into three categories. The symptoms of groupthink traditionally have been treated as part of a single process associated with poor decision making in groups. Lessons from nasa and the dangers of groupthink in. Critical evaluators, outside expertise, and devils advocates are among the preventive measures recommended by irving janis, who coined the term groupthink. Symptoms of groupthink some of the traditional symptoms of janiss groupthink model 1972 and potential hazards are described below. The present study explores the symptoms of groupthink as reflecting two distinct processes that vary depending on the confidence individuals have in the decision favored by the group. A study on our eating habits found that, on average, if you dine with one other person you will eat about 35% more than if you were eating alone. This lesson explains the concept of groupthink using the challenger explosion as an example. The papers analysis of group morale and groupthink in organizations relates it to a third strand. Have you ever agreed with your friends on something just to avoid feeling left out.
Janis several times set out lists of the symptoms of groupthink, and his lengthy study included much analysis of its other attributes. Groupthink is a widely utilizedtheory in social psychology, organizational theory, group decisionmaking sciences, and management fields. Groupthink, mode of thinking in which individual members of small cohesive groups tend to accept a viewpoint or conclusion that represents a perceived group consensus, whether or not the group members believe it to be valid, correct, or optimal. Overall the groupthink model has been supported by context analysis and case studies for example the challenger shuttle disaster. To deal with the herd mentality problem, here are the 8 symptoms of groupthink from the little book of behavioral investing by james montier. All these groupthink dominated groups were characterized by strong pressures toward uniformity, which inclined their members to avoid raising controversial issues, questioning weak arguments, or calling a halt to softheaded thinking. Mar 08, 20 groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which everyone in a group goes along with a decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints. Financial industry as a whole exhibited herd behavior with cdos and other abss, and many organizations, like lehman and aig, demonstrated groupthink and got themselves in too deep.
Testing limitations, and their mixed experimental results, lead to a wide diversity of perspectives regarding the model. Some conclude groupthink is no better than a myth, while others believe it is a brilliant construct. I had the distinct feeling that we were in the position. The first, traditionally labeled symptoms of groupthink, include illusions of invulnerability, collective rationalization, stereotypes of outgroups, selfcensorship, mind guards, and belief in the inherent morality of the group. At the hearing, engineer brian russell noted that nasa managers had shifted the moral rules under which they operated.
In this article, i discuss some famous examples of political and military fiascoes associated with groupthink, some symptoms of groupthink, and ways to avoid groupthink. In an unprecedented way, janis applied ideas from smallgroup analysis to the explana tion of policy fiascoes. Groupthink is a concept that was identified by irving janis a forefather in the study of group dynamics in 1972 that refers to faulty decisionmaking in a group. Groupthink and the ubiquitous nature of polarized group decisionmaking. I do not mean to imply that all cohesive groups necessarily suffer from groupthink. The result of a team having groupthink as a practice or habit is that the team can make bad or irrational decisions. The 2014 case of jerry sandusky is an example of groupthink. This term was first given by irving janis who was a social psychologist. In my studies of highlevel governmental decisionmakers, both civilian and military, i have found eight main symptoms of groupthink. In fact, it is now widely recognized that groupthink like behavior is found in many situations and across many types of groups and team settings. He describes groupthink as a situation whereby each member of the group attempts to match their opinions on what they believe to be the current consensus of the group. Desiree loria, junior communication studies major at azusa pacific university.
Under the sway of groupthink, members automatically assume the rightness of their cause. He attempted to determine why groups, often consisting of individuals with exceptional intellect and talent, made irrational decisions. To make groupthink testable, irving janis devised eight symptoms indicative of groupthink. The first condition is a high degree of cohesiveness, which he described as the extent to which group members are willing to work together. Groups experiencing groupthink do not consider all alternatives and they desire unanimity at the expense of quality decis. Then you have experienced or witnessed a phenomenon known as groupthink. May 30, 2019 groupthink is a phenomenon developed in groups marked by the consensus of opinion without critical reasoning or evaluation of consequences or alternatives. Esser lamar university this article provides a summary of empirical research on groupthink theory. Dec 03, 2016 groupthink is a term coined by psychologist irving janis in 1972.
Symptoms of groupthink janis has documented eight symptoms of groupthink. To help people identify when groupthink is occurring, irving janis devised eight symptoms that are indicative of groupthink. Groupthink can be diagnosed or observed when most or all of the following symptoms are present. It is caused due to various pressures existing within the group and efforts made to stifle dissent from members. For example, ahlstrom and wang 2009 completed a study using the groupthink model to assess frances defeat by germany in 1940. Groupthink is only one factor among other influencing variables that could affect the quality of decisions. It can be tackled by encouraging individual views and criticism. Groupthink is essentially a psychological phenomenon wherein a group of people is looking for common harmony and desire. Guarding against groupthink in the professional work environment. Groupthink is the name given to a theory or model that was extensively developed by irving janis 1972 to describe faulty decision making that can occur in groups as a result of forces that bring a group together group cohesion.
A psychological study of foreignpolicy decisions and fiascoes, which focused on the psychological mechanism behind foreign policy decisions such as the pearl harbor bombing, the vietnam war, and the bay of pigs invasion. Janis focused on problemsolving groups and taskoriented groups and found that three antecedent conditions promote groupthink. Janis victims of groupthink paul t hart1 introduction victims of groupthink. A group of people come to share a particular view or belief without a proper appraisaloftheevidence. If youre out with a group of four other people you eat about 75% more and groups of 7 or more eat 96% more than if they were alone. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the. Twentyfive years of groupthink theory and research. However, groupthink can compromise your ability to make the best decisions possible, gerstandt said. How to recognize the dangers of groupthink a backstage.
Symptoms of groupthink are the illusion of invulnerability, whitewash of critical thinking, negative stereotypes of outsiders, and direct pressure being applied to any dissenter. The first two stem from overconfidence in the groups prowess. His initial works sparked an explosion of research into how group behaviors, biases, andpressures affect group decisionmaking. Lessons from nasa and the dangers of groupthink in technology rollouts mark kelly, the nasa astronaut, is an excellent public speaker. The janis 1982 groupthink model includes various elementsnamely, the antecedent conditions cohesion a, structural faults b1, and situational factors b2, symptoms of groupthink c, symptoms of defective decisionmaking, d and prevention recommendations not labeled by janis. Janis that refers to a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. Evaluating janis groupthink model of faulty decision making. They essentially limited their assessment to only the groupthink symptoms and did not. Irving janis introduced the theory of groupthink in his classic study victims of groupthink in 1972. Groupthink is a phenomenon developed in groups marked by the consensus of opinion without critical reasoning or evaluation of consequences or alternatives. Groupthink theory and its implications for group decision making methods. What are the signs that group loyalty has caused members to slip into a groupthink mentality. According to irving janis, the inventor of the groupthink concept, decisionmaking groups are most likely to experience groupthink when they operate under the following conditions. Members ignore danger, take extreme risk and are overly optimistic.
One cannot assume that groupthink is the cause of practically every miscalculation or poor decision reached by a group. A checklist diane riordan james madison university michael riordan james madison university abstract scandalous events have prompted congress to investigate the accounting profession, and the accounting profession to examine itself. Groupthink theory suggests that poor decision outcomes are more likely when groupthink symptoms are present. Our initial response to this occurrence is to question how people can commit such a. The next pair reflect the tunnel vision members use to view the problem. Janis believes that groups frequently make decisions with profound consequences, and although he focused his efforts on foreign policy groups, the application of groupthink terminology resonates in many other decisionmaking groups. All ingroups may have a mild tendency toward groupthink, displaying one or another of the symptoms from time to time, but it need not be so dominant as to influence the quality of the groups final decision. Effects of groupthink on tactical decisionmaking by major phillip m. May 18, 2016 groupthink is defined as the practice of approaching issues as matters to be dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently. The main principle of groupthink, which i offer in the spirit of parkinsons law is this. A reappraisal of the groupthink phenomenon and a new model of group decision processes ramon j. The second, typically identified as symptoms of defective decisionmaking. But for our present purpose, we can draw out from his work three characteristics of. Groupthink is a psychological phenomena where we agree with other people just to keep the harmony of the group, even though in secret we dont agree with them.
Groupthink is an occurrence where by a group comes to a unanimous decision about a possible action despite the existence of fact that points to another correct course of action. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Or have seen someone make a big mistake in the name of maintaining peace in the group. Janis listed eight symptoms that show that concurrence seeking has led the group astray. Guarding against groupthink in the professional work. His speeches focus on the topic of how to build highperformance teams, and they are anchored by a quotation he learned early in his nasa career none of us is as dumb as all of us. Symptoms of groupthink include a encouraged functional. Although the term was coined as a negative one, groupthink now has both positive and negative versions. Nov 25, 2015 art markman, phd, is the annabel irion worsham centennial professor of psychology and marketing at the university of texas at austin and founding director of the program in the human dimensions of. The case studies in table 3 apply only a subset of the janis 1982 groupthink model, the groupthink symptoms. Sep 05, 2015 how to recognize the dangers of groupthink monte on september 5, 2015 strict conformity of opinion is the enemy of intellectual liberty and both conservatives and liberals fall into this trap. Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations journal. We censor ourselves to avoid conflict within our team.
Pdf groupthink in temporary organizations researchgate. Groupthink meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Pdf on jan 1, 1997, wekselberg victor and others published groupthink. Intense pressure from the outside to make a good decision.
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