groupthink

(noun)

A process of reasoning or decision making by a group, especially one characterized by uncritical acceptance or conformity to a perceived majority view.

Related Terms

Examples of groupthink in the following topics:

  • Groupthink

    • Groupthink occurs in both everyday and extraordinary circumstances.
    • Groupthink tends to occur on committees and in large organizations, and Janis originally studied the groupthink phenomena in historical cases, such as the Pearl Harbor bombing, the Vietnam War, and the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
    • Management consultants often recommend putting in place a variety of mechamisms to minimize groupthink.
    • Anonymous feedback via a suggestion box or online chat has also been found to be a useful remedy for groupthink.
    • A schematic of the groupthink model based on Irving Janis's research

  • Controlling the Behaviors of Group Members

    • Irving Janis led the initial research on the groupthink theory.
    • Irving Janis led the initial research on the groupthink theory.
    • Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people.
    • Irving Janis led the initial research on the groupthink theory.
    • Give examples of group polarization, groupthink and herd behavior in real life

  • Group Influence

    • Groupthink is a term coined by psychologist Irving Janis to describe a process by which a group can make bad or irrational decisions.
    • In a groupthink situation, each member of the group attempts to conform his or her opinions to what they believe to be the consensus of the group.
    • Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq[30] blamed groupthink for failures to correctly interpret intelligence relating to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities.
    • One mechanism which management consultants recommend to avoid groupthink is to place responsibility and authority for a decision in the hands of a single person who can turn to others for advice.
    • Anonymous feedback via suggestion box or online chat has been found to be a useful remedy for groupthink — negative or dissenting views of proposals can be raised without any individual being identifiable by others as having lodged a critique.

  • Effects of Group Size on Attitude and Behavior

    • For example, an individual's performance at work or the individual's decision-making processes (as in the term "groupthink").

  • Making Decisions

    • Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people.