According to Janis, the key characteristics of groupthink are: In the 1980s, NASA earlier debuted a space shuttle program that would be accessible to the public. This happens because group members want to keep a feeling of overall unity and/or harmony within the group, and this leads to dissenting voices being silenced. Groupthink: Psychological studies of policy decisions and fiascoes (2nd ed.). It can lead to disastrous conclusions because moral and logical thinking is suspended. Victims of cancel culture are convicted without trial and may have their careers, lives, and families destroyed. Although groupthink leads to making suboptimal decisions, group leaders can take steps . Why does groupthink occur? Dr. ADAM TABRIZ 899 Followers "Peace of mind would come to all people through the universal respect for the basic human rights of everyone" More from Medium in Great Resignation and Succession. Groupthink defined Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which people make largely unanimous and unquestioning decisions for a variety of reasons: Avoidance of disagreement and conflict The desire to maintain the status quo The pull to conform with others The fear of looking ignorant or wrong To counter this, the company devised an audacious marketing plan. Often awake for more than 24 hours at a time, the evidence is clear that such extreme lack of rest leads to mental fatigue, physical exhaustion, burnout, depression, poor judgment, and medical errors. Groupthink thrives on conformity and stems from low confidence and trust levels. Let us consider an example in a business setting. Despite all evidence to the contrary, the American auto industry stubbornly clung to this belief, only changing their views after losing significant market share to Japanese car manufacturers. 2 Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA. Look no further than the face in the mirror. She claims that a small group of individuals controlled Enron and had complete control over the companies decision-making processes. Members of this group believe they are geniuses when in fact, many have only average intelligence. There are several possible explanations for this effect, including 'social loafing' and cognitive overload. Their higher intelligence also makes them believe that whatever they think is right. Whoever still blindly supports such cruel and ineffective indoctrination is an obvious adherent to groupthink that absolutely endangers patients. Similarly, not all cases of groupthink result in failures or fiascoes to use Janis wording. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000132. Unfortunately, it also leads to a situation where team members end up making poor decisions. Confirmation bias involves selectively gathering and interpretation evidence to . Here, the desire for group cohesion effectively drives out good decision-making and problem solving. These communications confirmed that an attack was imminent. However, everyone else in the group agrees with the person who suggested the idea, and the group seemsset on pursuing that course of action. Within nursing, when a staff nurse questions a particular accepted practice, the most dangerous words to be spoken in response are, Well, thats the way weve always done it. In nursing, groupthink can keep nurses utilizing practices that are not evidence-based simply because change is too bothersome. Groupthink is a suspension of critical thinking that often occurs in groups of people. President Johnson felt that the U.S. was leading a just war, defending its ally, South Vietnam, from the Soviet threat. Examples like these are why many boards now select a person who plays devils advocate. And yes, there are people who genuinely deserve cancellation, but many people are innocent victims. The best way to avoid this phenomenon is to make yourself aware of it (studying the above examples will help.) This concept was first spoken about by social psychologist Irving Janis and journalist William H. Whyte. Groupthink is a term coined by Irving Janis in 1972. Your email address will not be published. According to him, group pressures lead to deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment. This is essentially a member who argues against the groups accepted opinion. A number of factors can influence this psychological phenomenon. As the millennial generation enters into full leadership of most industries worldwide over the coming decade, we must hold out hope that the younger generation can succeed where its predecessors failed. This analysis won the 2020 Group Dynamics Most Valuable Paper award. This eventually led to the outbreak of World War 2, the deaths of millions of people, and different groups being oppressed. Yet not all consensus-based problem-solving groups engage in groupthink. Groupthink is the tendency for individuals to agree with each other in a group setting, usually in order to conform and keep harmony. The majority voted for Brexit, but the decision has caused many problems for the UKproblems that could have been avoided if every opinion had been heard and respected. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. According to them, its a phenomenon where members of a group begin to think erroneously. This need was soon fulfilled by Japanese automakers. Within days of release, customers bombarded the company with angry complaints. Groupthink, The psychological phenomenon may have costs: The suppression of individual opinions and creative thought can lead to inefficient problem-solving. But Donelson Forsyth, in an article published in Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, suggests a second explanation for this unusual refusal to act in ways that are reasonable, healthy, and normative: groupthink. Before Groupthink stifles individual creativity and independent thinking in group members . The term was first used in 1972 by social psychologist Irving L. Janis. We wanted to learn from the exceptions when and how do they keep new ideas alive? They follow their leader fanatically and blindly go along with anything she tells them to do. Think about the last time you were part of a group, perhaps during a school project. For example, prior studies have found that brainstorming results in fewer ideas rather than more, and hinders rather than helps productivity. Groupthink. Foremost of these was the ill-advised hunter strategy in which the airline attempted to expand by buying up smaller airlines. Its also a great example of how small groups of people can have an outsized influence when it comes to groupthink. Public health interventions, such as mandated vaccinating or quarantining during an epidemic, are necessary to limit the spread of communicable diseases, but in many cases, certain groups resist these initiatives. The people involved in this industry refused to believe that anything could go wrong. Assign at least one individual to take the role of the "devil's advocate.". They ignored the dangers and negative feedback, blindly trusting the military advantage of the U.S. This can be damaging even in minor situations but can have much more dire consequences in certain settings. Members of a close-knit group might ignore or underestimate information that challenges their decisions. Groupthink can also aid in the performance of a new company or organization by placing an emphasis on the familiar and concentrating a coordinated effort toward a single goal. When there are structural issues (such as group isolation and a lack of impartial, The suppression of individual opinions and creative thought can lead to inefficient. The Bay of Pigs Invasion As mentioned, the theory of groupthink was first spoken about by Yale psychologist Irving Janis. Its interesting to note how the community reached a consensus, based on almost no evidence. More specifically, it was because members of the team who designed the shuttle felt that the testing efforts were adequate. Due to high levels of liquidity, it was even known as the flying bank. During the 1990s, things started to change. A political organization has a firm ideological agenda. Beyond the black stump: rapid reviews of health research issues affecting regional, rural and remote Australia. The Effects of Rudeness on NICU Medical Teams Studied by a New Tool for the Assessment of Decision-Making Group Dynamics. As a young debate team member, I learned the importance of learning to debate both sides of any issue. Anyway no one seems to consider other possible marketing plans, while the dynamic team leader firmly pushes for this campaign. Daniel: It sounds like we have broad agreement about some of these elements. Give people time to come up with their own ideas first. This group of girls (known as The Plastics) routinely engage in groupthink. Public service announcements designed to create a sense of shared identity, such as Were all in this together and Alone together campaigns, will be more effective if viewers can identify with the individuals who serve as spokespersons in these messages. The invasion ended up being an enormous failure, and people directly blamed the Kennedy administration. This is one of the more extreme cases of groupthink and proved disastrous. The power of groupthink: Study shows why ideas spread in social networks. Ken: Is there a way to propose a less onerous, but still comprehensive account? You also want your team to succeed. The term groupthink was coined in 1952 by William Whyte to describe the perils of rationalized conformity. Juries can also fall victim to groupthink. Conformity can sometimes cause groupthink, but it isn't always the motivating factor. MeSH Cancel culture is another blatantly obvious example of groupthink. Later reports showed that America was the aggressor and provoked North Vietnam by supporting South Vietnamese forces, as well as supplying them with reconnaissance information. Whats also interesting to note is that this event paved the way for the Cuban Missile Crisis. Three research-backed strategies to keep innovative ideas flowing. In situations characterized by groupthink, individuals may self-censor criticism of the group decision, or group leaders may suppress dissenting information. What was once the worlds No. Kodak succumbed to the symptoms of groupthink and flatly refused to adopt this new technology. Mob mentality, herd mentality, pack mentality, groupthink, or crowd psychology the concept has many names. Ultimately, this advert probably happened due to ideological conformity created by political correctness. First, U.S. government officials during the war considered themselves untouchable despite having suffered multiple failures and financial/human losses. Groupthink is a common factor in bad decision-making and serious ethical breaches. Not only was Kony 2012 a stunning example of the theory of groupthink in action, but it also shows how easily social networks can manipulate the public. Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel by British author William Golding. When this news hit the headlines, it proved to have dire consequences for the people behind the film (some were even arrested.) See this image and copyright information in PMC. Its been found that members with better jobs and education have a great amount of influence over lesser members and can persuade them to change their verdict. doi: 10.5694/mja2.50881. It creates problems within cohesive in-groups, which in turn restricts moral judgment and puts too much emphasis on agreement and accord. In 2003, a multi-country coalition chose to invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein. This fictional example illustrates key symptoms of groupthink: (i) group cohesion, (ii) selfcensorship, (ii) the mindguard (team leader) banning alternative opinions. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when the desire for group consensus overrides people's common sense desire to present alternatives, critique a position, or express an unpopular opinion. The J. F. Kennedy administration launched the attack by accepting negative stereotypes about the Cubans and Fidel Castros incompetence (Janis, 1972). The purpose of this film was supposedly to start an international movement that would bring him to justice. On Dec. 4, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury, N.C . International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration. Overconfidence and hubris led to a series of bad decisions, which eventually caused the airline to collapse. (Features & Stereotypes), 10 Italian People Features & Stereotypes (What They Look Like), 10 Polish people Features, Characteristics and Stereotypes, What do Swedish People Look Like? This is an example of groupthink in the workplace. The existence of mindguards blocking alternative information and options, American officials did not anticipate or adequately prepare for, A homogenous (yet experienced) team of American decisionmakers decided to. Engineers of the space shuttle repeatedly voiced concerns about the safety of the Challenger. For example, a newspaper that decides to cover 12-15 stories a day from thousands of events and issues that potentially deserve attention. One symptom of groupthink is a fanatical need to carry out decisions made by the team leader, project manager, or person in charge (no matter how horrific these decisions are.) Teams who adopt a liminal idea can come to consensus around the why of an idea, even if they disagree about how theyre going to execute it. "Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups" Social Psychologist Irving Janis (1972). Janis, I. It emerged from his effort to understand why knowledgeable political groups often made disastrous decisions (especially in foreign policy). 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Wave is a 2008 film that explores the phenomena of groupthink and how it creates highly cohesive groups. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. The groups we studied worried that if they made incorrect recommendations, they would lose their reputation at best, and at worst dismantle the health care system and so harm human life. Diversity among group members has also been shown to enhance decision-making and reduce groupthink.. 2020 Nov;150:105191. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105191. A mythical experiment is often used to illustrate groupthink - 5 hungry monkeys in a cage attack any monkey in the cage who tries to grab a banana - an experimental punishment dished out to the whole group when the bananas are touched. https://helpfulprofessor.com/groupthink-examples/, The illusion that a group is invulnerable, fully competent, and coherent. Jones. The experiment took place over five days, and each day added more rules and beliefs. Osborne SR, Alston LV, Bolton KA, Whelan J, Reeve E, Wong Shee A, Browne J, Walker T, Versace VL, Allender S, Nichols M, Backholer K, Goodwin N, Lewis S, Dalton H, Prael G, Curtin M, Brooks R, Verdon S, Crockett J, Hodgins G, Walsh S, Lyle DM, Thompson SC, Browne LJ, Knight S, Pit SW, Jones M, Gillam MH, Leach MJ, Gonzalez-Chica DA, Muyambi K, Eshetie T, Tran K, May E, Lieschke G, Parker V, Smith A, Hayes C, Dunlop AJ, Rajappa H, White R, Oakley P, Holliday S. Med J Aust. They have even planned for more than 50 affordable flights a year. What this example also shows us is how the use of experts can influence people. Because antihealth protests are, in some respects, intergroup conflicts, blurring the boundaries between groups or dissolving distinctions between groups altogether may limit noncompliance with health initiatives. Novel by British author William Golding in foreign policy ) of release customers... 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