Groupthink

Small Group Dynamics and Team Building

How communication works

            One of the biggest problems with assembling a group so that they can get together to function is that they can wind up committing Groupthink—thinking alike at the cost of seeing the value of different perspectives.  This can be dangerous, even fatal.

            Analysis showed that the 1986 explosion of the U.S. space shuttle Challenger was partly caused by Groupthink. Engineers knew there was a problem with the O-ring seals. But the committee making the final decision gave it the go-ahead, and 73 seconds after liftoff, it exploded, killing all seven crewmembers, including teacher Christa McAuliff.

            Yale psychologist Irving Janis defines Groupthink as the "thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternate courses of action," which is what happened with the Challenger. Janis says that Groupthink happens when the group is over confident and extremely cohesive to the point that group well-being is more important than the group’s purpose, or anyone outside of the group. There is also a great deal of internal pressure to conform. Janis lists a number of symptoms of groupthink:

1.      Illusion of Invulnerability: Nothing can go wrong because the group is special;

2.      Belief in Inherent Morality: They know that they and their cause are right;

3.      Collective Rationalization: The end justifies the means;

4.      Close-Mindedness: Ignore any information they don’t want to hear, and try to prevent that information from reaching the group;

5.   Unanimity: Pressure on dissenters to agree with the majority, and the belief that silence indicates agreement.               

Guideline How to avoid the risks of "groupthink"