Group decision making can be very helpful in getting different thoughts and opinions out of discussion, but also can be dangerous because of groupthink. Groupthink occurs when people avoid individually testing, analyzing, and evaluating facts in order to avoid upsetting the consensus of a group. In effect a conflict occurs whereby some topics are okay to discuss while others are closed often without the group being consciously aware of it. Those who violate the unspoken rules often find themselves being ostracized, alienated and ultimately expelled from the group.…
Groupthink is when a group of people makes irrational decisions with the desire of peace and harmony.…
According to study.com website (2015), a groupthink can simply be defined as an occurrence that gives a group of people a fault verdict or a conclusion a that a group has made that is an ineffective decision whereby it was reached just to appease the spirit of harmony among group members than allowing individuals to act independently and creatively. As alluded on, groupthink blocks individual creativity by ignoring alternatives allowing irrational actions to tale precedence. It happens most when individuals have similar background and the group is refusing external opinions. The result are that the decisions are flawed and they often come at a cost.…
One setting in which groupthink occurs in the movie 12 Angry Men. The movie is about a jury who must reach a verdict of guilty or not guilty on a murder case. 11 out of the 12 jurors vote “guilty”, while one votes “not guilty.” The lonely juror proves his case, and slowly gains alliance. The more people that change the verdict to not guilty, an increase of stress is put on the other jurors. They all end up changing vote to not guilty in the end to gain conformity. Groupthink…
Group composition is a mix of individuals that provides the best chemistry for interaction and achievement of a goal. In the way of group Composition I believe that our group is fairly reasonable. We have a group team leader in Travis to take charge if need be. We have Michael who will suggest alternate ideas that we might not think about. Then we have Ryan who is a Energizer, that helps kick our group into gear and motivate us when we are getting lazy or off topic.…
Group Minds is a very interesting and informative piece. Author Doris Lessing does a very good job trying to inform people about what is wrong with groups changing your opinion, and the idea that we do not use the information we have to improve ourselves. She offers a lot of good information, including an experiment that adds to her opinion about social groups.…
Each member must be willing to bend a little so the group can reach their common goal…
The second example of Groupthink as Irving Janus identified it is Illusions of Unanimity. In the meeting we all kept silent and in doing so gave Susan the impression that we agreed with her. This is particularly dangerous in some respects because it causes each person to suppress their feelings and to go along with the status quo. We don’t think about the cost of going along with Susan, we only worry about the here and now of arguing with her or disagreeing with her opinion. As Ben Carlson wrote “Be aware of the consequences if/when the group is wrong.” We can’t worry about the consequences if we don’t state our…
Illusion of Unanimity: Members perceive falsely that everyone agrees with the group decision silence is seen as consent.…
This week’s reading addressed some interesting points, but in several of those points overlooked a crucial aspect. What was overlooked was that in several of the groups talked about the leader of the group had unquestionable power. The question I would pose is how groups would overcome the groupthink mentality when they have to please appease the ideas of a single individual.…
The Essay” Group Minds” was written by Doris Lessing. In it, she argues that the government retains “hard information” about human actions/behaviour from schools to keep people submissive. “We (the human race) are now in possession of a great deal of hard information about ourselves, but we do not use it to improve our institutions and therefore our lives. (266)” This is information that will set people free from “blind loyalties, obedience to slogans, rhetoric, leaders, and group emotions. (267)” Lessing firmly believes this would be useful, if students learn to deliberate these rule with an indifferent approach. Which, as a result will improve schools and students lives; more people will become individuals and learn to withstand group pressures.…
Groupthink is usually characterized by a general illusion of invulnerability. In other words, group members think of themselves and of the group itself as being beyond harm. Furthermore, group members tend to avoid (through rationalization) dealing with warnings or threats. In addition, the group acquires an aura of morality and any opposition to it is seen as immoral. In the same way, differences of opinion are not tolerated and there is group pressure to stick to the general consensus, which leads members to censor their own doubts. Moreover, there is a belief that all members are in agreement--whether this agreement is expressed or not--and some group members function as gatekeepers to keep other members from getting information that might create diversity of opinion within the group. All in all, the whole process is laden with peer pressure that makes members go along with the group and keep their disagreements secret. Does this sound somewhat reminiscent of Nazi Germany?…
The article "Group Mind" by Doris Lessing was about people wanting to be in groups. A group is several people with a common interest. Being in a group gives us a sense of belonging; people out there being just like us. Lessing says; "We tend to think the way the group does: may even joined the group to find "like minded" people" (Lessing 357). This is because if we see other people in the world that are like us, then we will feel more wanted.…
Dismissing your own individual opinions to reach group consensus, now that’s negative peer pressure! Peer pressure will always be a problem and can affect anyone. I say that because no matter where you’re from or who you are, peer pressure is lurking about. Anytime you’re pressured to do something and your conscience is telling you not to do it, and you follow through with the task anyway, that is dismissing your opinion just to please other group members. Not wanting to be ostracized by others is the basis of conformity. Peer pressure doesn’t discriminate against race, nationality, or social class. It’s like a plague waiting to spread like wildfire throughout your school, your workplace, even your home-life. Some may think that’s too dramatic, but I envision it as the horrid truth. The article “Group Minds,” written by Doris Lessing, comes from her series of the 1985 Massey Lectures. Lessing declares “When we 're in a group, we tend to think as that group does: we may even have joined the group to find "like-minded" people. But we also find our thinking changing because we belong to a group.” I believe that no one realizes that their opinions are at risk of becoming dismissed just because they want to fit. The new-comers insist on becoming accepted, and as a result of that, we tend to forget about our own opinions, whether we agree or not.…
I facilitate groups at my internship Andover Subacute and Rehab Center. The individuals in the groups are ex-alcoholics and drug abusers. Around 6-10 people usually attend the groups, we discuss different topics that have to do with their recovery and the process they took. Due to HIPAA, I was not able to record the clients, so I will be using my process recordings. A majority of the group members are of old age, so listening is a very good quality that I have. It is hard for me to understand many of the group members at the time because of their low voices. I have to listen very carefully to be able to understand what they are saying.…