GROUPTHINK

BY: Anushka 

Groupthink occurs when individuals in cohesive groups fail to consider alternative perspectives because they are motivated to reach a consensus which typically results in making less-than-desirable decisions. 

Groupthink refers to the tendency for certain types of groups to reach decisions that are extreme and which tend to be unwise or unrealistic. 

For example, group members may ignore or discount information that is inconsistent with their chosen decision and express strong disapproval against any group member who might disagree. 

Groupthink occurs when individuals within a group prioritize harmony and conformity over critical thinking, leading to a suppression of dissenting opinions and potentially flawed decision-making 

SIGNS 

● illusion of unanimity leads members to believe that everyone is in agreement and feels the same way. It becomes much more difficult to speak out varying opinions. 

● Unquestioned beliefs lead members to ignore possible moral problems and not consider the consequences of individual and group actions. 

● Rationalizing prevents members from reconsidering their beliefs and causes them to ignore warning signs. 

● Self-censorship causes people who might have doubts to hide their fears or misgivings. Rather than sharing what they know, people remain quiet and assume that the group must know best.

● "Mindguards" act as self-appointed censors to hide problematic information from the group by keeping quiet or actively preventing sharing. 

● Illusions of invulnerability lead group members to be overly optimistic and engage in risk-taking. When no one speaks out or voices an alternative opinion, people believe that the group must be right. 

CAUSES 

● Lack of diversity in groups: Groups that have members who are very similar to one another can be a cause of groupthink. With a lack of diverse perspectives, the group fails to consider outside perspectives. 

● Lack of impartial leadership: Groups with particularly powerful leaders who fail to seriously consider perspectives other than their own and assume themselves to be superior. ● Stress: Placing a decision-making group under stress in scenarios such as one where there are moral dilemmas can increase the chances of groupthink occurring. These groups may try to reach a consensus irrationally and under pressure. 

● Highly cohesive groups: Particularly close-knit Groups typically display more groupthink symptoms than groups that are not. 

● Lack of external perspectives: Only considering the perspectives of in-group members can lead to groupthink as well. 

CONSEQUENCES

● Poor decisions: Potentially, the largest overall impact groupthink can have on decision-making groups is that they are more prone to making poor decisions. The effects of groupthink can be especially harmful in the military, medical, and political courses of action. 

● Self-censorship: Individuals within the group affected by groupthink may not be as effective as possible when helping make decisions because they may hold back their potentially helpful opinions if they run contrary to the group’s popular opinion. 

● Inefficient problem solving: groups who experience the effects of groupthink fail to consider alternative perspectives, they can sometimes fail to consider ways to solve problems that deviate from their original plan of action. This can lead to inefficiencies in the group’s problem-solving capabilities. 

● Stereotype: They, therefore, consider themselves the “in-group” and label others as outsiders or the “out-group,” which can become harmful to those on the outside as irrational thoughts about them begin to develop. 

● Blindness to negative outcomes: Since groups affected by groupthink can sometimes believe they are inherently correct; they may be unable to see the potentially negative outcomes of their decisions. They are more likely to be ill-prepared if their plan does not succeed. 

● Obedience to authority without question: Members of the group are more likely to follow their leaders blindly, never raising their opinion against whether the actions the group agrees on are moral or the correct course of action. 

REFERENCES: 

● Schaedig, Derek, 2023, Groupthink: Definition, Signs, Examples, simply psychology, https://www.simplypsychology.org/groupthink.html 

● Cherry, Kendra, 2024, How Groupthink Impacts Our Behavior, Very well mind, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-groupthink-2795213