Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints, by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. Loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions, and there is loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking. The dysfunctional group dynamics of the ingroup produces an illusion of invulnerability (an inflated certainty that the right decision has been made). Thus the ingroup significantly overrates its own abilities in decision-making, and significantly underrates the abilities of its opponents (the outgroup). Furthermore groupthink can produce dehumanizing actions against the outgroup.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 08:18:40 +0000
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