which is not a cause of groupthink course hero

Groups that prioritize their group identity and behave coldly toward “outsiders” may be more likely to fall victim to groupthink. Organizations in...

Why can groupthink be dangerous?

Even in minor cases, groupthink triggers decisions that aren’t ideal or that ignore critical information. In highly consequential domains—like pol...

Can groupthink ever be positive?

Groupthink, by definition, results in a decision that is irrational or dangerous. It is possible, however, for teams to make decisions harmoniously...

Are groupthink and conformity the same thing?

Groupthink and conformity are related but distinct concepts. Groupthink specifically refers to a process of decision-making; it can be motivated by...

What are some major examples of groupthink?

Risky or disastrous military maneuvers, such as the escalation of the Vietnam War or the invasion of Iraq, are commonly cited as instances of group...

What are the symptoms of groupthink?

Individual members of the group self-censoring —especially if they fear being shunned or derided for speaking their mind—is one potential sign th...

What’s the best way to avoid groupthink?

Since groupthink often occurs because group members fear disagreeing with the leader , it can be beneficial for the leader to temporarily step ba...

Why is it good to allow dissent?

Healthy dissent has been linked to more creative thinking and ultimately greater innovation within organizations . Asking one person to deliberate...

Does diversity guard against groupthink?

Diversity—both demographic diversity and diversity of thought— has been shown to reduce the possibility of groupthink . Group members’ different ba...

What is groupthink theory?

Created by. kylaholmes. Groupthink is a theory dedicated to understanding the decision-making process in small groups. Janis believes that groups frequently make decisions with profound consequences, and although he focused his efforts on foreign policy groups, the application of Groupthink terminology resonates in many other decision-making groups.

What is external stress?

According to Groupthink, external stress tends to motivate a group and spur it on to better, more productive decision making. (T or F) False External stress on the group may evoke Groupthink. When decision makers are under great stress, they tend to break down and make poor decisions.

What are the consequences of groupthink?

In highly consequential domains—like politics or the military—groupthink can have much worse consequences, leading groups to ignore ethics or morals, prioritize one specific goal while ignoring countless collateral consequences, or, at worst, instigate death and destruction.

What is groupthink in psychology?

Groupthink specifically refers to a process of decision-making; it can be motivated by a desire to conform, but isn’t always. Conformity, on the other hand, pertains to individuals who (intentionally or unintentionally) shift their behaviors, appearances, or beliefs to sync up to those of the group.

What is groupthink in business?

While it is often invoked at the level of geopolitics or within business organizations, groupthink can also refer to subtler processes of social or ideological conformity, such as participating in bullying or rationalizing a poor decision being made by one's friends.

When was groupthink first introduced?

The term “groupthink” was first introduced in the November 1971 issue of Psychology Today by psychologist Irving Janis. Janis had conducted extensive research on group decision-making under conditions of stress. Since then, Janis and other researchers have found that in a situation that can be characterized as groupthink, ...

What is groupthink in psychology?

The term “groupthink” was first used by a social psychologist named Irving Janis, and it is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a well-intentioned group works together to make decisions and strives for harmony and consensus. This, in turn, leads to non-optimal decision making and conformity within the group.

Why is it important to create an environment that encourages participation and sharing?

A company culture that allows for trust and support of ideas of all types is more likely to have more cohesive decision making and an increase in subsequent positive outcomes. To cultivate a sharing environment, as a leader, you may try:

How to improve communication skills in a team?

When you evaluate your own communication style, you will begin to notice how you interact with your team members in a group setting that requires decision making. Try writing down the way you gathered decision-making information from your group in the last two or three meetings.

What are the problems with groupthink?

Groupthink can cause problems such as: 1 bad decisions 2 exclusion of outsiders/dissenters 3 lack of creativity 4 blindness to potential problems 5 resistance to new ideas 6 excessive deference to authority 7 believing only the facts that support existing opinions

How to avoid groupthink?

One of the simplest ways to avoid groupthink is to assign the role of “devil’s advocate” to a team member in every meeting. That person’s role is to question the group’s consensus by coming up with as many objections and counter-arguments as they can think of.

Why is groupthink invulnerable?

Because your group is invulnerable, any facts or data indicating that you’ve made a mistake must be wrong. If someone in the accounts department raises red flags about holes in the balance sheet, a team operating under groupthink will create collective rationalizations to explain it—that person made a mistake, or they've got an agenda to undermine the group, or they’re maliciously spreading false information.

What is groupthink in psychology?

Here’s a simple definition of groupthink from Psychology Today: “Groupthink occurs when a group of well-intentioned people make irrational or non-optimal decisions that are spurred by the urge to conform or the discouragement of dissent. ”.

Where did groupthink originate?

To start off, let’s define groupthink. The term originated in psychology. It was coined by psychologist Irving Janis in a seminal 1971 paper on the role of group decision-making in historic U.S. foreign policy blunders. He found that such decision-making wasn't always effective, largely because people prioritized conformity over rational thinking.

Why is morality important in groupthink?

In groupthink theory, morality is important. People generally don’t make bad decisions and suppress opposition because they’re evil or they've got bad intentions. On the contrary, in a groupthink scenario, they believe strongly that they're good people doing the right thing. That sense of rightness helps them to justify doing things like bending the rules or acting unethically. Essentially, they believe that the end justifies the means.

Why do you need outside experts in a meeting?

Having outside experts at your meetings can help to break up the group mentality and introduce other opinions and perspectives. If the outsiders are respected experts in the field, group members aren’t so likely to challenge them, and they may even hold a more open debate than usual because they want to make a good impression on the outsiders.