Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSignsHow Groupthink WorksWhat Causes Groupthink?Examples of GroupthinkGroupthink Can Have Serious EffectsPotential Pitfalls of GroupthinkWhat Can You Do to Avoid Groupthink?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Signs

How Groupthink Works

What Causes Groupthink?

Examples of Groupthink

Groupthink Can Have Serious Effects

Potential Pitfalls of Groupthink

What Can You Do to Avoid Groupthink?

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Have you ever been in a situation where everyone seems to agree without giving the problem much thought? This is often an example of a psychological phenomenon known as groupthink. Groups tend to think in harmony, which can make reaching a consensus easier while also reducing critical thinking and novel ideas.

What Exactly Is Groupthink?

People opposed to the group’s decisions or overriding opinions frequently remain quiet, preferring to keep the peace rather than disrupt the crowd’s uniformity. This phenomenon can be problematic, but even well-intentioned people are prone to making irrational decisions in the face of overwhelming pressure from the group.

Keep reading to learn more about how to spot the signs of groupthink, what causes it, and the effects it can have on decision-making and behavior.

8 Signs of Groupthink

Groupthink may not always be easy to discern, but there are some signs that it is present. There are also some situations where it may be more likely to occur. Janis identified eight different “symptoms” that indicate groupthink.

RecapFour of the main characteristics of groupthink include pressure to conform, the illusion of invulnerability, self-censorship, and unquestioned beliefs. Other signs include rationalizing, self-censorship, mindguards, and direct pressure.

Recap

Four of the main characteristics of groupthink include pressure to conform, the illusion of invulnerability, self-censorship, and unquestioned beliefs. Other signs include rationalizing, self-censorship, mindguards, and direct pressure.

What to Know About the Hive Mind Mentality

Why does groupthink occur? Think about the last time you were part of a group, perhaps during a school project. Imagine that someone proposes an idea that you think is terrible, ineffective, or just downright dumb.

However, everyone else in the group agrees with the person who suggested the idea, and the group seems set on pursuing that course of action. Do you voice your dissent or just go along with the majority opinion?

In many cases, people end up engaging in groupthink when they fear that their objections might disrupt the harmony of the group or suspect that their ideas might cause other members toreject them.

Groupthink is complex and there are many influences that can impact when and how it happens. Some causes that may play a part include:

Group Identity

It tends to occur more in situations where group members are very similar to one another. When there is strong group identity, members of the group tend to perceive their group as correct or superior while expressing disdain or disapproval toward people outside of the group, a phenomenon known as the ingroup bias.

When people have a lot in common and are very similar to one another, their beliefs and decision-making are often biased in similar ways. This means that they may come to the same conclusions and interpret the available information in the same ways.

Group Polarization: Theories and Examples

Leader Influences

Groupthink is also more likely to occur when a powerful and charismatic leader commands the group. People may be more likely to go along withauthoritarian leadersbecause they fear punishment.Transformational leaderscan sometimes produce this same effect because group members are more willing to buy into their vision for the group.

Low Knowledge

When people lack personal knowledge of something or feel that other members of the group are more qualified, they are more likely to engage in groupthink.Since they lack the expertise and experience, they tend to let other people set the pace and make the decisions.

Stress

Contributing FactorsJanis suggested that groupthink tends to be the most prevalent in conditions:When there is a high degree of cohesiveness.When there are situational factors that contribute to deferring to the group (such as external threats, moral problems, and difficult decisions).When there are structural issues (such as group isolation and a lack of impartialleadership).

Contributing Factors

Janis suggested that groupthink tends to be the most prevalent in conditions:When there is a high degree of cohesiveness.When there are situational factors that contribute to deferring to the group (such as external threats, moral problems, and difficult decisions).When there are structural issues (such as group isolation and a lack of impartialleadership).

Janis suggested that groupthink tends to be the most prevalent in conditions:

In each instance, factors such as pressure to conform, closed-mindedness, feelings of invulnerability, and the illusion of group unanimity contribute to poor decisions and often devastating outcomes.

Groupthink can cause people to ignore important information and can ultimately lead topoor decisions. This can be damaging even in minor situations but can have much more dire consequences in certain settings.

The phenomenon can have high costs. These include:

Groupthink can be a way to preserve the harmony in the group, which may be helpful in some situations that require rapid decision-making. However, it can also lead to poorproblem-solvingand contribute tobad decisions.

Groupthink vs. Conformity

It is important to note that while groupthink andconformityare similar and related concepts, there are important distinctions between the two. Groupthink involves the decision-making process.

On the other hand, conformity is a process in which people change their own actions so they can fit in with a specific group. Conformity can sometimes cause groupthink, but it isn’t always the motivating factor.

Group consensus can allow groups to make decisions, complete tasks, and finish projects quickly and efficiently—but even the most harmonious groups can benefit from some challenges. Finding ways to reduce groupthink can improve decision-making and assure amicable relationships within the group.

There are steps that groups can take to minimize this problem. First, leaders can give group members the opportunity to express their own ideas or argue against ideas that have already been proposed.

Breaking up members into smaller independent teams can also be helpful.Here are some more ideas that might help prevent groupthink.

Diversity among group members has also been shown to enhance decision-making and reduce groupthink.

When people in groups have diverse backgrounds and experiences, they are better able to bring different perspectives, information, and ideas to the table. This enhances decisions and makes it less likely that groups will fall into groupthink patterns.

9 Little Habits That Make You a Better Decision Maker

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404Bang D, Frith CD.Making better decisions in groups.R Soc Open Sci. 2017;4(8):170193. doi:10.1098/rsos.170193Rose JD.Diverse perspectives on the groupthink theory - A literary review.Emerging Leadership Journeys. 2011;4(1):37-57.JSTOR Daily.How to cure groupthink.Lee TC.Groupthink, qualitative comparative analysis, and the 1989 tiananmen square disaster.Small Group Research. 2020;51(4):435-463. doi:10.1177/1046496419879759DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404Walker P, Lovat T.The moral authority of consensus.J Med Philos. 2022;47(3):443-456. doi:10.1093/jmp/jhac007Gokar H.Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations.Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business.2013;5(8):225-240.Additional ReadingJanis IL.Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions and Fiascoes.Boston: Houghton Mifflin; 1972.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404Bang D, Frith CD.Making better decisions in groups.R Soc Open Sci. 2017;4(8):170193. doi:10.1098/rsos.170193Rose JD.Diverse perspectives on the groupthink theory - A literary review.Emerging Leadership Journeys. 2011;4(1):37-57.JSTOR Daily.How to cure groupthink.Lee TC.Groupthink, qualitative comparative analysis, and the 1989 tiananmen square disaster.Small Group Research. 2020;51(4):435-463. doi:10.1177/1046496419879759DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404Walker P, Lovat T.The moral authority of consensus.J Med Philos. 2022;47(3):443-456. doi:10.1093/jmp/jhac007Gokar H.Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations.Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business.2013;5(8):225-240.Additional ReadingJanis IL.Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions and Fiascoes.Boston: Houghton Mifflin; 1972.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404Bang D, Frith CD.Making better decisions in groups.R Soc Open Sci. 2017;4(8):170193. doi:10.1098/rsos.170193Rose JD.Diverse perspectives on the groupthink theory - A literary review.Emerging Leadership Journeys. 2011;4(1):37-57.JSTOR Daily.How to cure groupthink.Lee TC.Groupthink, qualitative comparative analysis, and the 1989 tiananmen square disaster.Small Group Research. 2020;51(4):435-463. doi:10.1177/1046496419879759DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404Walker P, Lovat T.The moral authority of consensus.J Med Philos. 2022;47(3):443-456. doi:10.1093/jmp/jhac007Gokar H.Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations.Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business.2013;5(8):225-240.

DiPierro K, Lee H, Pain KJ, Durning SJ, Choi JJ.Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review.Med Teach. 2022;44(3):309-318. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2021.1987404

Bang D, Frith CD.Making better decisions in groups.R Soc Open Sci. 2017;4(8):170193. doi:10.1098/rsos.170193

Rose JD.Diverse perspectives on the groupthink theory - A literary review.Emerging Leadership Journeys. 2011;4(1):37-57.

JSTOR Daily.How to cure groupthink.

Lee TC.Groupthink, qualitative comparative analysis, and the 1989 tiananmen square disaster.Small Group Research. 2020;51(4):435-463. doi:10.1177/1046496419879759

Walker P, Lovat T.The moral authority of consensus.J Med Philos. 2022;47(3):443-456. doi:10.1093/jmp/jhac007

Gokar H.Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations.Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business.2013;5(8):225-240.

Janis IL.Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions and Fiascoes.Boston: Houghton Mifflin; 1972.

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