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Kapitel 9: Gruppendynamik Back To Chapter

9.4: Gruppendenken

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Gruppendenken

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Sometimes, an individual may suppress or censor their true opinions from the “popular” crowd to fit in and to avoid discomfort, resentment, or feeling like an outcast.

This situation is called groupthink—a mode of thinking where the desire for conformity and unanimity in a cohesive group overrides alternative and realistic decisions or actions.

In the presence of an esteemed leader, the members discover their shared interests and similar backgrounds and appear as a homogenous unit.

As a result, the now loyal person may experience an illusion of invulnerability—they feel protected from any outside opinions that may vary—and, they won’t be mocked from the inside.

Over time, the fear of being ostracized may even cause stress that rationalizes a few to act with misguided notions, such as deciding that they’re the best and stereotyping those outside the group as losers.

Such beliefs can even spread over popular media, where others “like” the message and discourage any dissent.

With a growing number of unquestioned viewpoints, groupthink can be detrimental to everyone’s well-being and critical thinking and, thus, should be avoided.

In this case, to reduce the likelihood of groupthink, the “ring leader” should diminish her presence to avoid swaying others’ opinions. In addition, the members could consult or question a trusted outsider to obtain unbiased and alternative views, keeping broader perspectives alive!

9.4: Gruppendenken

When in group settings, we are often influenced by the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around us. Groupthink is another phenomenon of conformity where modification of the opinions of members in a group aligns with what they believe is the group consensus (Janis, 1972). In such situations, the group often takes action that individuals would not perform outside the group setting because groups make more extreme decisions than individuals do. Moreover, groupthink can hinder opposing trains of thought. This elimination of diverse opinions contributes to faulty decision by the group.

Why Does Groupthink Occur?

There are several causes of groupthink, which makes it preventable. When the group is highly cohesive, or has a strong sense of connection, maintaining group harmony may become more important to the group than making sound decisions. If the group leader is directive and makes his opinions known, this may discourage group members from disagreeing with the leader. If the group is isolated from hearing alternative or new viewpoints, groupthink may be more likely.

How Do You Know When Groupthink Is Occurring?

There are several symptoms of groupthink, including the following:

perceiving the group as invulnerable or invincible—believing it can do no wrong
believing the group is morally correct
self-censorship by group members, such as withholding information to avoid disrupting the group consensus
the quashing of dissenting group members’ opinions
the shielding of the group leader from dissenting views
perceiving an illusion of unanimity among group members
holding stereotypes or negative attitudes toward the out-group or others’ with differing viewpoints (Janis, 1972)

Given the causes and symptoms of groupthink, how can it be avoided? There are several strategies that can improve group decision making including seeking outside opinions, voting in private, having the leader withhold position statements until all group members have voiced their views, conducting research on all viewpoints, weighing the costs and benefits of all options, and developing a contingency plan (Janis, 1972; Mitchell & Eckstein, 2009).

This text is adapted from OpenStax, Psychology. OpenStax CNX.

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