We may never really realize groupthink is happening in our own group. There are times when you are in a group and there is always that one person who believes they are the leader of the group. They start calling the shots and telling everyone what to do. But you don’t agree at all with them but don’t have the guts to say anything because you fear everyone will disapprove. That is the real world definition of groupthink! The proper definition for groupthink is when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment. The groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and do irrational actions that dehumanize other groups. A group that is more susceptible …show more content…
It occurs in situations where group members are similar to one another and is more likely to happen when a powerful and charismatic leader commands the group. Sometimes situations will cause group members extreme stress or moral dilemmas exist will also increase groupthink on members. Groupthink negatively affects everyone in the group by pressuring them to conform within a group by doing this it causes poor group decision making. Each person’s creativity, independent thinking, and uniqueness are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness. Groupthink rejects new perspectives so it’s harder for the overall group to solve problems and correct errors. There are several things we can do to avoid groupthink completely. First follow good meeting procedures (developing an agenda, aim for proper and balanced staff work, present different views). Creating a template for discussion may also be useful. To prevent group isolation, it’s useful to bring in new participants with new ideas on a regular basis. Group leader should give the group time to discuss and debate before weighing in. This not only encourages individual contribution but allows a full discussion of all views. Everyone’s view can challenge the group’s
Are you a self-reliant individual, or do you generate more ideas while working in a group? Groupthink has always been the dysfunctional idea that results from within a group that seeks harmony and conformity. Groupthink has been seen in Salem, MA, specifically in The Crucible, where townsfolk would go around accusing women, often innocent, of witchcraft. It has also been seen during the Red Scare, where Senator McCarthy would create a list of celebrities and other well-known people that he would accuse of being communists in the United States. At the time, Americans were against the idea of the communists and communism due to the fact that the Soviet Union, which had a communist government, was threatening to bomb the US. Thus, anyone who was
From the Velasquez excerpt he explains Janis definition of Group think which refers to the susceptibility of groups of people to get increasingly out of touch with reality (Janis 84). Velasquez believes the main cause of groupthink is socials pressures within the group due to the group wanting to get along and keep harmony (Janis 84). When a group really wants to have a good standing relationship with each other they could possibly just agree on something to not upset the others, or to make them not like them for their beliefs and not agreeing resulting in them not evaluating the situation. This negatively affects ones decision making outcome. Groupthink as any other problem has symptoms and we will go over each of these.
Normally in a group, the work will be divided into the number of members in the group and may be arranged to each of the members to receive the part where they are more confident and have more knowledge of it. In addition, if a member is confused with their work, he can receive assistance from his teammates rather than just being alone and figure it himself independently. However, I believe sometimes been in a group can have its cons. A common pitfall associated with working as a group is disagreement about the way something is being done, a particular issue, or an opinion. Sometimes one member might have his own beliefs and want to perform a task in their way and conflict can arise from this. Once conflict arises, the members can discuss their own opinions and might arrive to a solution, but this can cause a member to not show their full potential because something was not done the way they wanted. I believe this is very common but if you are open minded, it can be overcome for the sake of the team to be
Groupthink was coined by Janis and is defined as “a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group”(Cherry). So people will essentially forgo their beliefs to conform to the group to obtain harmony or if they don’t agree with a group idea they will simply keep quiet about it rather than challenge ideas. Janis classified eight different “symptoms” of groupthink. They are Illusions of invulnerability, which leads the members of the group to take part in risk-taking and become overly optimistic. Unquestioned beliefs, leads the members to ignore the possible aftermath that their decisions can make. Rationalizing, hinders members from recognizing warning signs and from reexamining their own beliefs. Stereotyping, leads the members of the group to criticize or write off any other group who may have differing opinions. Self-censorship, makes group members who may have differing opinions not disclose them to the group. "Mindguards",certain members of the group who are self-appointed censors that withhold information they find may disrupt group consensus. Illusions of unanimity, leads the members of the group to think that everyone believes the same things. Direct pressure, this is put on members to conform when they do end up expressing their own opinions or the rest of the group feels as if they are having differing opinions. Janis’s work was influential because it helped us examine the
Group behaviors consist of things like group polarization which is where a group of of people will be separated from others groups and led in group discussion leading to more extreme views hence the like minded people of the group. Ingroup Bias is a good example due to you thinking that your group is better then any other creating competition and tension because of your personal bias
...ff to come up with alternate solutions by looking at a problem from a different perspective. The group thinking process opens the spectrum of ideas that can be developed. It is common knowledge that no one knows everything. Therefore effective group thinking can greatly assist an element to open their horizons and adequately come to the best possible solution.
What is groupthink? There is a simple definition for it, but is it truly that simple? The term groupthink refers to the inclination of group members to have the same opinions and beliefs; it frequently leads to mistakes. It often occurs without an individual being aware of it. Conflict is considered to be a harmful element when related to groups, but conflict is good when considering groupthink because it helps to eliminate the existence of a groupthink. The explanation sounds simple enough, but it is more complex than the description given.
We learned about the phenomenon of Groupthink, which is a group usually makes decisions that are proven disastrous and in hindsight people agree that it is flawed from the onset. Groupthink as we have learned can happen anywhere from being with friends which we call peer pressure, to companies, corporations and especially government institutions. For our learning journal assignment, we have to find and read or own examples of groupthink disasters and the one that came to mind to me was Coca-Cola’s changing of the Coca-Cola’s recipe in the 80’s. The question that popped in my mind is, is that an example of groupthink decision making?
...and show an open mind to everyone’s ideas. I’ve found that this makes for a lighter and more fun environment and we’ve shown success in completing our task. Most times I’m put into groups, I don’t know the other people very well. This is common at school with my classmates. I’m used to having no leader in the group and everyone fighting to have their ideas chosen. Once a leader was chosen in the group we started discussing openly everyone’s ideas with the chosen leader voicing their opinion on which idea to choose and why. Usually when it comes to my friends I take the leadership role and make an try to hear everyone’s opinion before making a decision. I believe that for a team to find success and reach their goal someone needs to take leadership and voice an unbiased opinion. The team needs to hear everyone’s ideas and choose one based on which will lead to success.
Now a staple of US education, Super Size Me documents the strength of the fast food industry’s place in US culture, as well as the toxic impacts it brings. Side-by-side, Morgan Spurlock’s body falls under a month-long McDonald’s binge as Americans declare their love for ultra processed burgers. The power of advertising is obvious. Children recognize Ronald McDonald before Jesus. A girl can recite the Big Mac TV slogan more accurately than the pledge of allegiance.
A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives (Robbins & Judge, 2009). At some point in all of our careers, we will be tasked with working within a group setting. This discussion board will focus on conformity and deviant workplace behavior, and how each can negatively affect the outcome of working within a group setting.
Groupthink is the psychological phenomenon in which groups working on a task think along the same lines which could have drastic results. It is the result of group polarization where discussions are enhance or exaggerate the initial leanings of the group. Therefore, if a group leans towards risky situation at the beginning of the discussion on average they will move toward an even riskier position. (Marks, 2015). The idea when everyone think the same no one is really thinking. The drastic outcomes result from people trying to avoid conflict with one another, being highly cohesive, and results is questionable decision making (Oliver, 2013). Houghton Mifflin publication of Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions
Groups influence our everyday lives in ways that we don’t even realize. Most of what is learned from groups are societal norms that are being reinforced on a micro level in everyday life. Group influence on individuals is a clear tangible proof of societal norms by institutions. The groups we become a part of therefore can have a greater influence on our individual actions then we are aware of. As an individual we like to believe we have agency over our actions and what we decide but a lot of our own actions is more a part of a group mentality. Also, individual’s go along with a group’s influence so they feel better about themselves because then they won’t be ostracized. This paper will analyze different aspects of individual behavior and
Working in groups is challenging at times. Other times it is very rewarding. We are so focused on life that we do not take time to reflect on things as much as we should. Being in a Groups class has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I have begun to question, explore, and even understand how things work. I even get how they work sometimes. Not only is there a process involved in making individual decisions, process is involved in group decisions as well. This paper attempts give insight into my reflection of my group decision process.
Several experiments and researches have been conducted that have focused on how people behave in groups. The findings have revealed that groups affect peoples’ attitudes, behavior and perceptions. Groups are essential for personal life, as well as in work life.