Groupthink
Working in groups can bring many benefits. Potential problems can occur however such as:
Groupthink
The term groupthink was coined by Irving Janis in 1972.
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome.
Group members try to minimise conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.
Several conditions must take place for groupthink to occur . The group must be isolated from outside influences. Group loyalty prevents individuals from raising controversial issues of alternative solutions. There is a loss of individual creativity and independent thinking. The group experiences the 'illusion of invulnerability,' an inflated certainty that the right decision has been made. Typically the group is under a high level of pressure to make a decision, and it lacks an impartial leader. These factors can lead a group to make a catastrophically bad decision.
Symptoms of groupthink include:
Several interventions can help reduce groupthink:
Groupshift
Groupshift is the phenomenon in which the initial positions of individual members of a group are exaggerated toward a more extreme position. For example, when people are in groups, they assess risk differently from when they are alone. In the group, they are likely to make riskier decisions as the shared risk makes the individual risk seem to be less.
Deindividuation
Deindividuation is a concept in social psychology that is generally thought of as the loss of self-awareness in groups. Theories of deindividuation propose that it is a psychological state of decreased self-evaluation and a decreased evaluation of apprehension causing abnormal collective behaviour, such as violent crowds and lynch mobs. Conversely it also explains peoples tendency to donate more readily to charity when in groups.
- Groupthink
- Groupshift
- Deindividuation
Groupthink
The term groupthink was coined by Irving Janis in 1972.
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome.
Group members try to minimise conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.
Several conditions must take place for groupthink to occur . The group must be isolated from outside influences. Group loyalty prevents individuals from raising controversial issues of alternative solutions. There is a loss of individual creativity and independent thinking. The group experiences the 'illusion of invulnerability,' an inflated certainty that the right decision has been made. Typically the group is under a high level of pressure to make a decision, and it lacks an impartial leader. These factors can lead a group to make a catastrophically bad decision.
Symptoms of groupthink include:
- Illusion of invulnerability
- Belief in inherent morality of the group
- Collective rationalisation
- Stereotypes of 'out-groups'
- Self-censorship
- Illusion of unanimity - assuming that people who remain silent agree with the majority view
- Direct pressure on dissenters
- Self-appointed mind guards - protecting the group from outside info that challenges the groups view of itself
Several interventions can help reduce groupthink:
- Leaders should allow each member to challenge ideas and present objections
- Members should talk about and solicit ideas with people outside the group
- Outside Experts should be invite to attend meetings
- Avoid expressing opinions about the preferred outcome
- Assign 'Devil's Advocate' at all meetings to challenge any and all ideas
Groupshift
Groupshift is the phenomenon in which the initial positions of individual members of a group are exaggerated toward a more extreme position. For example, when people are in groups, they assess risk differently from when they are alone. In the group, they are likely to make riskier decisions as the shared risk makes the individual risk seem to be less.
Deindividuation
Deindividuation is a concept in social psychology that is generally thought of as the loss of self-awareness in groups. Theories of deindividuation propose that it is a psychological state of decreased self-evaluation and a decreased evaluation of apprehension causing abnormal collective behaviour, such as violent crowds and lynch mobs. Conversely it also explains peoples tendency to donate more readily to charity when in groups.
