ART 5: Groupthink

heterogeneity

(diversity in a group of items or people)

homogeneity

(similarity in a group of items or people)

When a decision to go to war is made because the U.S. perceives its way of life to be the best way, the decision makers may be suffering a symptom of Groupthink known as:

Belief in the inherent morality of the group

_____________ is defined as the extent to which group members are willing to work together, or the group's sense of togetherness.

Cohesiveness

_____________, a structural factor leading to Groupthink, means that the group is able to be unaffected by the outside world.

Group insulation

According to West and Turner Groupthink....

Groupthink occurs when highly cohesive groups fail to consider alternatives that may effectively resolve group dilemmas. Group members frequently think similarly and are reluctant to share unpopular or dissimilar ideas with others. When this occurs, groups prematurely make decisions, some of which can have lasting consequences.

Janus' research indicated that three conditions promoted Groupthink

High degree of cohesiveness of the decision-making group; Specific structural characteristics in the environment; Stressful (internal and external) characteristics of the situation

_____________, a structural factor leading to Groupthink, means that the group is led by people who have a personal interest in the outcome.

Lack of impartial leadership

Groupthink occurs when groups place group harmony above:

Motivation to assess plans of action

When President Lyndon Johnson and his staff thought of the North Vietnamese as only Communists, they exhibited _____________, according to Groupthink.

Out-group stereotypes

Symptoms of Groupthink:

Overestimation of the group and closed-mindedness

Groupthink can be avoided through a variety of strategies, including:

Requiring oversight and control

According to Finn Groupthink is....

group deliberation that minimizes conflict and stresses consensus (the need for unanimity)

Group work is favored in many instances because:

homogeneous

Irving Janis' theory of Groupthink focuses on _____________ groups.

problem-solving

Assumptions of Groupthink....

•The nature of groups/teams promotes high cohesion •Group problem solving is mostly a unified process •Group decision making is frequently complex