Groupthink

What is Groupthink?
Name
Institutional affiliation
WHAT IS GROUPTHINK?
According to Janis (1972), groupthink is a form of thinking or rather a psychological phenomenon which people engage in when “concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive group, and realistic appraisal of alternative actions are overlooked” (Janis 1972, p. 9). It is a decision taken by the group under pressure to arrive at a unanimous decision without opposition from any member of the group; these people often remain quiet, so they do not disturb the peace and uniformity of the group (Cherry 2017). Groupthink mainly occurs in tightly-knitted groups that need to make a collective decision about a particular situation; this could be overwhelming leading them to make a collective rash decision without considering any other alternatives.
Janis (1972) identified eight symptoms of groupthink. Those include invulnerability, rationale, morality, stereotypes, pressure, self-censorship, unanimity, and self-appointed ‘mindguards.’
The illusion of invulnerability within a group creates a false sense of belief; they feel overconfident (Chesire 2017) making them take unnecessary risks.
Collective rationalization is when a group fails to heed warnings as they collectively create rationales so as not to consider or revisit assumptions that could set them back.
Belief in inherent morality, the group, believes that their cause is right which enables them to ignore ethical and moral consequences their decision could or may have caused ( Psysr.

org, what is groupthink).
Stereotyped views of out-groups, groups with this symptom tend to disregard views from other groups seeing them as “weak or stupid” (Houghton 2015, p. 76). They believe the decision they have made within their group is the best and as a result, they are unable to respond to conflict (Psysr.org, what is groupthink).
Direct pressure on dissenters, when members of the group are unable to voice their concerns about a decision as a result of pressure placed on them to confirm whenever they express doubts or question a decision. These people are often seen as traitorous or disloyal (Cherry 2017).
Self-censorship is when members of a group fail to express their misgivings about a decision so as not to deviate from the consensus; they even try to minimize the importance of their concerns ( Janis, 1972).
The illusion of unanimity, the views, and conclusions that are drawn from the group’s meetings are considered to be unanimous and falsely so, as some of the members are given no chance to give counter-propositions.
Self-appointed mindguards is when members of a group appoint themselves as mind-guards to protect the leader and other members from contradictory information that could derail the togetherness of the group (Psysr.org. what is groupthink).
A group is at risk of groupthink if they are expressing any of the symptoms explained above. It develops when a group have spent much time together and have gotten used to one another. Also, it occurs if the group is led by a powerful and charismatic leader who gives members no chance of any input at all. Groupthink appears if the group is placed under an enormous amount of pressure to deliver or efficiently make a decision as quickly as possible.
Groupthink gives no chance for communication as members are not allowed to voice their concerns, the leader comes up with an idea, and the group has to agree to it and as a result, leads to poor decision making and lack of solutions to the problems that are discussed. The problem of groupthink can be prevented or eliminated if all of the symptoms can be recognized and dealt with, a leader of a group should assign a role to each member that allows them to critically evaluate their discussions which according to Janis (1982) would allow members voice their disagreements. Furthermore, Janis (1982) says that groupthink can be prevented if a decision can be revisited even after an initial consensus have been reached to go through the motions again for critical analysis before a definitive decision is made. Finally, groupthink is a negative phenomenon as it can lead to poor decision making, especially painful decisions which could cost lives and properties.

References
Cherry K (2017) What is Groupthink? How to recognize and Avoid it. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-groupthink-279521Chesire W.M (2017). Groupthink: How Should Clinicians Respond to Human Trafficking? Medicine and Society AMA. Journal of Ethics. January 2017, Volume 19, Number 1: 91-97. doi: 10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.01.msoc3-1701.
Houghton D.P (2015) Understanding Groupthink: The Case of Operation Market Garden. Thinking Strategically, pp. 75-85. Retrieved from https://ssi.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/parameters/issues/Autumn_2015/10_Houghton.pdfJanis, I.L. (1972). Victims of groupthink: A psychological study of foreign policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Janis, I.L. (1982). Groupthink: A psychological study of policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
What is groupthink? Retrieved from http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm