Do you think you decide better when you are alone or when you are in a group? Researcher Irving Janis observed that when we are in a group we tend to make wrong decisions, and He called this phenomenon groupthink
The formation of groups and decision making in them have been widely studied phenomena in social psychology. We are going to learn about the main characteristics of group thinking, a concept that tries to explain the errors or biases we make when we make decisions in groups.
A group is a unit composed of a certain number of separate organisms that have a collective perception of their whole and that they have the capacity to act.
The group usually acts effectively together towards its environment.
Group polarization
Group polarization is a concept that we need to understand previously to understand what groupthink is. This appears in group processes, and consists of an accentuation of the initially dominant position due to group discussion.
Myers found this phenomenon in a wide range of contexts, such as stereotyping, prosocial and antisocial behavior, play, negotiations, etc.
Later, Janis spoke of groupthink as an extreme form of group polarization. Let’s see what this new phenomenon consists of.
Irving Janis (1972, 77) described groupthink when he observed that many groups with similar mentality (for example: councils, committees,…), ended up taking incorrect or irrational decisions due to belonging to one’s own group That is, the members of the groups influenced each other in such a way (or rather, their thinking) that they ended up making mistakes in their decisions.
Thus, groupthink appears when, in the decision-making process, a very cohesive or similar-minded group, is so conditioned by the search for consensus that his perception of reality deteriorates
Characteristics
The 5 fundamental characteristics of groupthink are as follows.
1. Illusion of invulnerability
It is the belief shared by group members that nothing bad is going to happen to them as long as they stay together It is believed that the group will not fail if it acts together or united.
2. Uniformity pressure
It is about the pressure to “be all the same”, which in turn causes four other symptoms:
2.1. Pressure on dissidents
Criticism directed towards the group or its way of acting is rejected The greater the cohesion and relevance of the problem, the greater the rejection of the group members towards the non-conformist.
2.2. Self-censorship
Group members do not express doubts about the decisions the group makes.
23. Illusion of unanimity
It consists of the tendency to overestimate the degree of agreement that exists among group members.
2.4. Appearance of the Mind Guardians
It occurs when group members try to maintain group orthodoxy (group norms) and to do so They report possible deviations, trying to protect the group from adverse information
They are justifications after the fact, when it has already been decided, instead of a prior, careful and careful analysis of the problems that affect the group. That is, the group skips the analysis of the problem and replaces it with justifications resulting from his desires and motivations (conscious or unconscious).
4. Belief that the group is inherently moral
Group members exaggeratedly perceive that their approaches as a group are moral and upright.
5. Stereotyping of outgroups
If you have a homogeneous, uniform, and generally pejorative image of members of outgroups (the “other” groups). This image includes stereotypical ideas of the behavior and thinking of outgroup members.
How is groupthink reinforced?
Groupthink is reinforced if a series of conditions are met:
Thus, these conditions promote a scenario where group discussions are characterized by attempts to rationalize between everyone; actions that are congruent with the option are assumed, while discordant information is ignored or disqualified
How is it reduced?
Some of the strategies to reduce groupthink are these.
1. Assign the role of critical evaluator to all group members
It is about prioritizing the objections of group members. The leader will have to be able to withstand criticism
2. Leader impartiality
Another strategy is that the leader maintains an impartial attitude when making decisions or supporting or not supporting certain opinions.
3. Open discussions
It is about encouraging open discussions, where all group members can speak freely without pressure or censorship.
