Groupthink occurs when the members of a group prioritise the strong bonds of the group over clear decision-making.
When groupthink occurs within a group, there is tendency to evaluate every decision or judgement in relation to how it could influence the cohesion of the group, which leads to close-mindedness.
Unity of a group can prevent clear decision-making.
Symptoms of Groupthink:
Invulnerability
Rationale
Morality
Stereotypes
Pressure
Self-censorship
Unanimity
Mindguards
Invulnerability
(feeling unable to be harmed)
members of the group develop an illusion of invulnerability, which encourages excessive levels of optimism and leads to risk-taking behaviours
Rationale
(rationalising reasons for a course of action)
members of the group discount warnings and downplay negative feedback that could challenge the assumptions of the group
Morality
(distinguishing between right and wrong)
members of the group believe that they are morally justified in their decisions, consequently ignoring the possible ethical consequences of their actions
Stereotypes
(applying widely head, over-simplified views about a particular group)
members of the group apply negative stereotypical views to people in an opposing group
for example, they may perceive them as inherently bad, weak, untrustworthy, or stupid
Pressure
(using persuasion and coercion)
members of the group apply direct pressure to any member who expresses doubt, or opposing views or opinions
Self-censorship
(remaining quiet to avoid criticism)
members of the group actively avoid challenging the group consensus.
they may do this by remaining silent or by downplaying their doubts
Unanimity
(expecting agreement by all people involved)
members of the group believe that the decisions of the group are shared by all
by extension, remaining silent during a discussion is taken to mean that the individual is in full support of the group
Mindguards
(filtering out any negative information)
members of the group adopt the role of 'mindguards' to prevent the leader and members of the group from exposure to information that challenges the decision-making of the group
Close-knit groups are likely to show the symptoms and experience the consequences of groupthink
What role should each member be given to prevent groupthink?