The small group dynamic I have chosen that we have not discussed in class is the risky shift phenomenon. The risky shift phenomenon is when you are a member of a group and your perception of risk is seemingly greater. This is because the idea of a group risk is much better than that of individual risk. Sometimes the individual risk is too much to bear in a person’s eyes. When there are more people taking the risk some people tend to think and do more things boldly. Whatever the consequences, they will not be alone. It will be shared. But even in a dynamic like this the risk, just like the gain or the loss, is felt by everyone. Groups also sometimes experience risk-averse people. They are people who tend to agree with the majority because they don’t want to make anyone mad or let anyone down. This is also known as cautious shift. There is also an inclination where the perception in a group’s risk can …show more content…
The first time being in a classroom setting where the teacher would ask for a show of hands on something that she obviously felt was a fun thing to do. Most of the time the kids who wanted to do it the most were first to put up their hands, but it was only after she would say something like, “It’s fun for everyone. Don’t you guys want to do have fun too,” that you would see other hands reluctantly go up. I know some of the kids didn’t care for the activity, but they didn’t want to be an “odd man out.” In my adult life I have seen it in a few civic organizations I am involved in. There have been many times that we have had to vote on things and based on what was said, the argument presented, some people who were die-hard “no’s” turned themselves into “yes’s”. If not for just the simple fact that they didn’t want to answer questions about why they disagreed. This is no way to be, but truthfully if probably happens a lot more than we think and in a lot more important and pivotal
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.
The topic of this paper is Irving Janis’s concept of groupthink. There has been an increase in the utilization of groups or teams of people who come together in the decision-making process. There are many benefits to group decision-making with each member brings their own perspectives, beliefs, and ideas to the table. However, there are also negative dynamics such as groupthink that can hinder this process. Groupthink can lead to members believing that their opinions don’t hold as much weight as their peers, a group becoming overconfident in their knowledge of what is right, and the minimization of threats. Lack of thorough analysis of all available options or opportunities can have costly and long reaching negative consequences. Proactive
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
Our behavior is an obvious effect of how groups affect us. Social facilitation for example occurs when an indivisual changes their performance because others are around (Cacioppo & Freberg, 2014). When Dap and Half-Pint where in the library, Half- Pint acted in a calm relatable matter, yet around the Gamma recruits he conformed to the dumb things they did. Social loafing also affects people within a group. Social loafing is the reduced motivation and effort shown by individuals working in a group as opposed to working alone (Cacioppo & Freberg, 2014). An example of social loafing would be when Dap’s group decided to march in the parade, the people supporting him wouldn’t need to apply as much effort to protest together than they would alone. School Daze also conveys the message of being lost in the crowd, which is Deindividuation. Deindividuation is the lost of personal identity within the crowd (Cacioppo & Freberg, 2014). Sororities and fraternities have the idea that all members are one. Last, but not least a group can affect one’s attitude, or the way you feel about something. The common attitudes of the sororities and fraternities lead to prejudice. Prejudice is a prejudgment, usually negative, of another person on the basis of his or her membership in a group. In School Daze, Rachael and Jane had a rivalry because they had two different points of view on hair, causing the entire group to dislike each other because they were apart of a separate group. As the saying goes, you are the company you
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.
One model for understanding group development is the five-stage group development model which states that groups go through five stages of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Gibson, el at., 2009). In addition, the model suggests that groups can be in several stages at one time and do not have to move through the stages linearly (Gibson, el at., 2009). While this model has been widely used by individuals, in the study of group dynamics, there is no imperial evidence that this model accurately describes group development (Tuckman & Jensen, 2010). In addition, there is some concern that the model is to static and unrealistic in its explanation of group formation (Gibson, el at., 2009). Another model for group development is the punctuated equilibrium model that suggests that there are only three phases (Gibson, el a...
According to Toseland and Rivas (2005), group dynamics are “the forces that result from the interactions of group members” (p. 64). These forces refer to either the negative or positive influences towards meeting members’ socioemotional needs as well as goal attainment within a group (Toseland & Rivas, 2005), like within my class work group experience. Some of dynamics that continue to emerge and develop in my group is the effective interaction patterns and strong group cohesion, which has generated positive outcomes and group achievement thus far.
Team Dynamics is how a group of two or more that works together for a common goal. One definition of a team is: two or more individuals associated in some joint action. (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (1976). In the business & education world, these joint actions should have some mission or objective that achieves results like a research paper. My Team C has come together with a common goal: Writing a successful paper for week 5 on “What safeguards exist currently to ensure academic honesty & are they working?” For this to be possible we must learn how to work as a team.
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
You are in a meeting and you get asked whether or not you agree with the statement that has been made. In your head, you disagree and have a valid opposing opinion. Instead you fear that your opinion will be rejected and say ‘yes’ to follow the majority of the group. In doing so, you are undermining yourself by not letting your opinion being heard. Saying yes, just to conform, suppresses your ability to show that you are capable of critical thinking and shows to your co-workers that you will say yes to mostly anything.
When an organization is looking for new creative ideas, they should ask their employees. The employees of the organization have an in depth look and are more understanding to the needs of the organization because it is where they work and are involved. Managers can call on a group of employees and together, they can come up with solutions for the organization. “Group decision making is a type of participatory process in which multiple individuals acting collectively, analyze problems or situations, consider and evaluate alternative courses of action, and select from among the alternatives a solution or solutions” (Group Decision Making, n.d.,para.1).
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.
When working on an assignment in a group it is best to set roles for each team member. That is a process called Group Dynamics. Each team member would have a different function in each group. One member would take the Devil’s Advocate role. That position is for a person in the group that can never agree with any of the members ideas’. It helps the group by allowing them to see what it is like having to deal and work with a difficult team member during the assignment. Another member would take the role of the Listener. Their position would be to sit back quietly, keeping their ideas to themselves and allow the other members to discuss their ideas among the group. Another role in the group is called the Idea Generator. This role is given to
Group dynamics can be defined as the interactions that influence the behavior and attitudes of individuals when they are in groups. This is very important in the areas of sociology, psychology, and communication studies.