Presented By-

Azaz Ahmed Bibhuti B. Bhardwaj Gangaram Sapkota

What is a Groupthink?
Groupthink is a method of thought

a way of thinking performed by a group of individuals in an effort to curtail discord and to arrive at a sense of accord or agreement.

Groupthink was discovered as an undesirable by-product of group

cohesiveness by a psychologist named Irving Janis.

A group is vulnerable to groupthink

the group is insulated from outside opinions

there are no clear rules for

decision making

During the Groupthink process

members are similar in background

individuals will test, analyze and evaluate the group ideas under examination.

Symptoms of Group Think:

Illusion of Invulnerability: Members ignore obvious danger, take extreme risk, and are overly optimistic.

Collective Rationalization: Members discredit and explain away warning contrary to group thinking

Symptoms of Group Think:

Illusion of Morality: Members believe their decisions are morally correct, ignoring
the ethical consequences of their decisions

Excessive Stereotyping: The group constructs negative stereotypes of rivals outside the group.

Symptoms of Group Think:

Pressure for Conformity: Members pressure any in the group who express arguments against the group's stereotypes, illusions, or commitments, viewing such

opposition as disloyalty

Self-Censorship: Members withhold their dissenting views and counter-

arguments.

Symptoms of Group Think:

Illusion of Unanimity: Members perceive falsely that everyone agrees with the group's decision; silence is seen as consent.

Mind guards: Some members appoint themselves to the role of protecting the group

from adverse information that might threaten group complacency.

Examples of groupthink

Corporate
Political

Sports

Corporate
Swissairs Collapse: Thought to be so financially stable that people referred to it

as the Flying Bank. Poor decision-making processes eventually led to its

collapse.

Symptoms: The belief that the group is invulnerable and the belief in the morality of the group. Lack of expertise, similar backgrounds / norms and pressure to conform were also present. Consequences: Collapse of Swissair

Political
Vietnam war: Groupthink is believed to be main reason for the war. Strategic advisors in 3 successive administrations rubber-stamped battle plans laced with false assumptions.

Symptoms: Groupthink prevented contradictory views to the war from being expressed and subsequently evaluated.

Consequences: 58,220 United States servicemen died.

Sports
Major League Umpire Association: In 1999, the Major League Baseball Association staged a mass resignation in a failed attempt to gain a stronger negotiating stance. Symptoms: The umpires overestimated the power that they had over the baseball league and the strength of their groups resolve. There was the presence of self-censorship; some umpires who disagreed with the decision to resign failed to voice their dissent. Consequences: Failed strategy, Major League Baseball accepted their

resignations, 22 umpires were out of jobs and eventually replaced.