Groupthink Chapter 14 PDF

GROUPTHINK Chapter 14  CHAPTER OVERVIEW  Groupthink at a glance  Introduction  Assumptions of Groupthink  Antecedent conditions of Groupthink  Symptoms of Groupthink  GROUPTHINK AT A GLANCE  Highly cohesive groups frequently fail to consider alternatives ...

GROUPTHINK Chapter 14  CHAPTER OVERVIEW  Groupthink at a glance  Introduction  Assumptions of Groupthink  Antecedent conditions of Groupthink  Symptoms of Groupthink  GROUPTHINK AT A GLANCE  Highly cohesive groups frequently fail to consider alternatives  Consensus-seeking is valued over critical assessment of all the information  Groups can make faulty decisions  INTRODUCTION  Victims of Groupthink by Ir ving Janis (1972)  Groupthink is “a way of deliberating that group members use when their desire for unanimity overrides their motivation to assess all available plans for action”  Harmony in the group is the primary goal  INTRODUCTION  Government policy examples analyzed for groupthink:  U.S. Navy preparedness at Pearl Harbor  Pursuit of the North Korean Army on its own territory  Bay of Pigs invasion  Escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War  Watergate cover-up  ASSUMPTIONS OF GROUPTHINK 1. Conditions in groups promote high cohesiveness  Cohesion arises from a group’s attitudes, values, and patterns of behavior  Cohesion is easy to recognize, but hard to measure  ASSUMPTIONS OF GROUPTHINK 2. Group problem solving is primarily a unifi ed process  Group members strive to get along  Groups are susceptible to affi liative restraints  Group members attach greater importance to preservation of the group than to the issues under consideration  ASSUMPTIONS OF GROUPTHINK 3. Groups and decision making are frequently complex  Groups must understand the alternatives available  Members must understand the task at hand  Knowing others will judge us leads to task accomplishment  Demographic variables impact group dynamics  ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS OF GROUPTHINK  Conditions exist that promote groupthink: 1. Group cohesiveness 2. Structural factors 3. Group stress ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS OF GROUPTHINK 1. Group cohesiveness  Desirable characteristic of group dynamics, but may cause pressure to conform ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS OF GROUPTHINK 2. Structural factors  Group insulation  Lack of impartial leadership  Lack of decision-making procedures ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS OF GROUPTHINK 3. Group stress  Internal and external causes  Under great stress, groups may see no reasonable solution and rally around a leader  May cause faulty decision making  SYMPTOMS OF GROUPTHINK  Antecedents lead to concurrence seeking  Categories of symptoms of groupthink  Overestimation of the group  Closed-mindedness  Pressures toward uniformity  SYMPTOMS OF GROUPTHINK 1. Overestimation of the group  The erroneous belief that the group is more than it actually is  Symptoms in this category  Illusion of invulnerability  Belief in the inherent morality of the group  SYMPTOMS OF GROUPTHINK 2. Closed-mindedness  Willingness of the group to ignore diff erences in people and warnings about poor group decisions  Symptoms in this category:  Out-group stereotypes  Collective rationalization  SYMPTOMS OF GROUPTHINK 3. Pressures toward uniformity  Occurs when group members go along to get along  Symptoms of this category:  Self-censorship  Illusion of unanimity  Self-appointed mindguards  Pressures on dissenters SYMPTOMS OF GROUPTHINK THANK YOU.