Groupthink can cause people to ignore important information and can ultimately lead to poor decisions. Therefore, groupthink prioritizes group harmony over independent judgment and might rationalize immoral actions. When this news hit the headlines, it proved to have dire consequences for the people behind the film (some were even arrested.) A social group in this type of group setting can quickly develop conformity for the sake of cohesion. This challenge quickly went viral, and millions of people took part, without really knowing what the purpose of the stunt was. Groupthink . Researchers studied four virtual task forces that were set up to recommend a process to make Americans health care records electronic. Give an example of the following characteristics of bureaucracy: (1) system of rules . Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Highly cohesive and/or non-diverse groups, An influential leader who feels infallible and suppresses dissenting information, Decision-making under stress or time constraints, Non-consideration of outside perspectives, Efforts to maintain/boost group members self-confidence. It seemed unbeatable, and this gave the company leaders a feeling of invulnerability. Engineers of the space shuttle repeatedly voiced concerns about the safety of the Challenger. What we saw in the groups that overcame groupthink is that it began with one member expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo. This eventually led to the outbreak of World War 2, the deaths of millions of people, and different groups being oppressed. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Treating new ideas as liminal (rather than literal) allowed members to relieve some of this pressure and enter into a transitional space where play and experimentation were encouraged. In the above conversation, when Kevin says: Say a patient gives Dr. Jones permission to view and incorporate their information, rather than selling the group a great idea, he invites members to play and experiment with him to make the idea work. The airliner soon found itself overwhelmed by debt and was quickly insolvent. Keith is the host of The Nurse Keith Show, a popular nursing career podcast. However, it remains unclear how it has been conceptualized, studied, and mitigated in the context of health professionals conducting patient care. As mentioned, the theory of groupthink was first spoken about by Yale psychologist Irving Janis. John Spacey, June 27, 2018. Groupthink occurs when a group values cohesiveness and unanimity more than making the right decision. groupthink n. a type of thinking engaged in by a group of people deliberating an issue, typically characterized by the making of injudicious decisions through individuals' unwillingness to challenge group consensus. In the end, it became nothing more than a way to seek attention on social media. In the case of Nazi Germany, this is what clearly happened. Some people actually believe that this organization is a scam. Year: 2011. This was a vote on whether the UK should leave the European Union. Contexts facilitating Groupthink Table 1. This fictional example illustrates key symptoms of groupthink: (i) group cohesion, (ii) selfcensorship, (ii) the mindguard (team leader) banning alternative opinions. An unquestioned belief in the groups integrity. Causes of Groupthink It should be clear from the above that the main causes of groupthink are: Highly cohesive and/or non-diverse groups Outright rejection of single-payer and related solutions also stymies creative approaches to our current situation, not to mention the denial of climate change, a true public health crisis of unprecedented proportions. This happens because group members want to keep a feeling of overall unity and/or harmony within the group, and this leads to dissenting voices being silenced. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal It would reformulate its product and release it as New Coke.. Space shuttle engineers knew about certain faulty parts before the take-off. In January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Groupthink can lead collective rationalization, lack of personal accountability and pressure to acquiesce. Instead of expressing dissent and risking losing a sense of group unity, members stay silent. President Johnson felt that the U.S. was leading a just war, defending its ally, South Vietnam, from the Soviet threat. Making better decisions in groups. Historical rejection by the medical establishment of alternative/complementary therapies has kept many potential solutions out of the hands of consumers, and the death grip of insurance companies on politicians reelection campaigns also drives groupthink in the White House and the halls of Congress. Groupthink can occur any time you involve a group of people in decision-making. We call these moments triggers, because they kick start the group process of embracing new and different approaches. Groupthink. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. The government did this without questioning the basic assumptions of this plan and without undertaking any further investigation. These include:. 2 Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA. Conformity can sometimes cause groupthink, but it isn't always the motivating factor. Media accounts of the noncompliant groups suggest that the conditions that often cause groupthinksuch as high levels of cohesion and isolation, stress, strong conformity pressures, and directive but misinformed leadershipwere all in evidence as these groups grew in influence and intensity. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to avoid groupthink. Dan spoke from the perspective of the patient, who may not have the time or interest to carefully look through the audit. People opposed to the decisions or overriding opinions of the group frequently remain quiet, preferring to keep the peace rather than disrupt the uniformity of the crowd. Ken: Is there a way to propose a less onerous, but still comprehensive account? In case you dont know, this was an event where North Vietnamese ships attacked the U.S.S. This added the feeling of time pressure to the groupthink. Kramer, R. M. (1998). 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. and transmitted securely. First, when evaluating a set of options specifically denote time on your agenda to challenge the status quo. (1982). Real World Examples of Groupthink and the Consequences Healthcare is not an industry where groupthink, blissful ignorance, or pandering to the powerful produce any appreciably positive results. Let us consider an example in a business setting. Medical, military, or political decisions, for example, can lead to unfortunate outcomes when they are impaired by the effects of groupthink. They did not question whether the Central Intelligence Agency information was accurate. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. In situations characterized by groupthink, individuals may self-censor criticism of the group decision, or group leaders may suppress dissenting information. Groupthink is a widely utilized theory in social psychology, organizational theory, group decision-making sciences, and management fields. Daniel: It sounds like we have broad agreement about some of these elements. According to him, group pressures lead to deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment. Perhaps we can take all these elements and evolve them into something that is more user friendly once we have full agreement about what we think will work. Once that permission is granted, you dont need another audit trail, because the information is now the physicians information within their own office, right? House prices would continue to rise no matter what. A total of 22 articles were included-most were commentaries or narrative reviews with only four empirical research studies. Unfortunately, research shows that consensus-based problem-solving groups are often where innovative ideas go to die. Ultimately, this advert probably happened due to ideological conformity created by political correctness. Groupthink Definition. To counter this, the company devised an audacious marketing plan. When there are structural issues (such as group isolation and a lack of impartial, The suppression of individual opinions and creative thought can lead to inefficient. Scholars have found that decision-making processes only sometimes define ultimate outcomes. Teams who adopt a liminal idea can come to consensus around the why of an idea, even if they disagree about how theyre going to execute it. They didnt act or prepare because they rationalised that the Japanese wouldnt never attempt such an invasion. Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, has been a nurse since 1996. Kevin: Say a patient gives Dr. Jones permission to view and incorporate their information. Ryan: I have a problem with the pure audit model. These groups are tasked with developing consensus around new ideas, such as procedures, policies, products, or services. a group of intelligent people working together to solve a problem can sometimes arrive at the worst possible answer., Well, thats the way weve always done it., Well, I was hazed, bullied, and sabotaged as a new nurse and now its my turn to get some payback; why should these new nurses get off easy?. They simply went ahead and ran the ad. While the phenomenon was popularized by . It is a defensive reaction that preserves group cohesion at the expense of both individual . Other examples where decision-making is believed to be heavily influenced by groupthink include: In more everyday settings, researchers suggest that groupthink might play a part in decisions made by professionals in healthcare settings. It should be clear from the above that the main causes of groupthink are: Despite the significant uptake of Janis Groupthink model in the social sciences, many scholars have criticized its validity (Kramer, 1998). The absolute proof that America's collective groupthink problem poses a danger has unfortunately emerged from the right side of the aisle. See this image and copyright information in PMC. The term groupthink was coined in 1952 by William Whyte to describe the perils of rationalized conformity. ", 25 Best Ways to Make a Good First Impression, 25 Best Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure, 100 Best Side Hustles for Teens to Make Money, 10 Proven Psychological Pricing Strategies with Examples, 100 Office Etiquette Rules You Need to Know, 50 Best Business Letter Closings of All-Time. 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. Acknowledge the groups positive progress when members agree to the why even when disagreeing about the how. The phenomenon can have high costs. According to historical sources, a small group of teenage girls (led by a 17-year-old called Elizabeth Hubbard) instigated the trials when they began accusing others of witchcraft. Anyway no one seems to consider other possible marketing plans, while the dynamic team leader firmly pushes for this campaign. Unsurprisingly, this quickly happens, and the boys soon descend into anarchy and chaos. Dr. ADAM TABRIZ 899 Followers "Peace of mind would come to all people through the universal respect for the basic human rights of everyone" More from Medium in Great Resignation and Succession. Not only that, doctors advertised these cigarettes and recommended smoking for people with sore throats. These groups are highly prone to groupthink quick agreement around status quo solutions with little discussion or deliberation. Those firmly ensconced in the healthcare ecosystem can likely agree that groupthink plays a larger role than we would like to believe. By Kendra Cherry Its interesting to note how the community reached a consensus, based on almost no evidence. Similarly, not all cases of groupthink result in failures or fiascoes to use Janis wording. 2010;13(1). The invasion ended up being an enormous failure, and people directly blamed the Kennedy administration. Group dynamics (2nd ed.). Maddox and U.S.S.C. This phenomenon embodies the worst aspects of this concept, including the total belief that the group is in the right. When the Washington Post broke Watergate, it caused a national scandal and led to Richard Nixon resigning. Insist on debating the opposite viewpoint of an issue what if we are wrong? Four of the main characteristics of groupthink include pressure to conform, the illusion of invulnerability, self-censorship, and unquestioned beliefs. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, antiquarantine groups protested the mandate to socially distance and remain at home, claiming these directives violated their right . There is emerging interest in understanding group decision making among a team of health professionals. This was seen as an act of aggression which led to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which in turn escalated the Vietnam War. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 24(3), 139152. Although the plans to invade the Bay of Pigs had leaked out, they carried on ignoring the adverse warning signs (Janis, 1972). Groupthink, a term coined by Irving Janis to depict premature consensus seeking in highly cohesive groups, is a theory that has been widely discussed in disciplines outside health care.. Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review Epub 2021 Oct 12. Kevin: Is this data accessible on the network, or is it data that resides within an individuals application? When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Indeed, previous research has challenged Janis model. Assign at least one individual to take the role of the "devil's advocate.". In other words, individuals in the group won't disagree because they may fear social isolation. More specifically, it was because members of the team who designed the shuttle felt that the testing efforts were adequate. This group of girls (known as The Plastics) routinely engage in groupthink. Groupthink is defined as the practice of approaching issues as matters to be dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently. Members of a close-knit group might ignore or underestimate information that challenges their decisions. We need creative, courageous minds to gather together, reject groupthink, swear off the status quo, and move us into a brighter future. Initially coined in 1974 by Irving Janis, a professor of psychology at Yale University, in reaction to terminology used by George Orwell in his seminal novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is defined by Yale Alumni Magazine as when a group of intelligent people working together to solve a problem can sometimes arrive at the worst possible answer.. Match terms a-e with the numbered example. Groupthink has been applied to a broad spectrum of group settings and is seen as a major factor in many . Many people complied, but some did not. Organizational Tonypandy: Lessons from a Quarter Century of the Groupthink Phenomenon. Rose JD. Another real-life scenario of groupthink discussed by Janis is the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941. Before big decisions, leaders should hold a "second-chance" meeting where members have the opportunity to express any remaining doubts. Groupthink in Science: Greed, Pathological Altruism, Ideology, Competition, and Culture H, Allen, David M., Howell, James W You dont speak up because you like your colleagues and want to avoid putting them in an awkward position by challenging their idea. This was a catastrophic choice. We wanted to learn from the exceptions when and how do they keep new ideas alive? Cognitive biases are worrisome for physicians because they can affect one's ability to gather evidence, interpret evidence, take action and evaluate their decisions, the authors noted. Here are some more ideas that might help prevent groupthink. It creates problems within cohesive in-groups, which in turn restricts moral judgment and puts too much emphasis on agreement and accord. What this example also shows us is how the use of experts can influence people. Figure 1. groupthink. Group polarization leads to changing attitudes among individuals within the group. People often find it hard to think and act independently in group situations. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Isolated from dissenting opinions, they thought of themselves as invincible. National Library of Medicine The larger the group, the greater the tendency for its members to research and. There are also some situations where it may be more likely to occur. Groupthink might lead groups to reach more extreme or wrong decisions that only some members genuinely support. Don't discourage dissent or challenges to the prevailing opinion. On December 2, 2001, energy giant Enron filed for bankruptcy. Medical, military, or political decisions, for example, can lead to unfortunate outcomes when they are impaired by the effects of groupthink. Who will lead the charge, dear Reader? doi: 10.5694/mja2.50881. This analysis won the 2020 Group Dynamics Most Valuable Paper award. One symptom of groupthink is a fanatical need to carry out decisions made by the team leader, project manager, or person in charge (no matter how horrific these decisions are.) He wrote about this phenomenon in the 1972 publication titled Victims of Groupthink a Psychological Study of Foreign-policy Decisions and Fiascoes. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a group forms a quick opinion that matches the group consensus rather than critically evaluating the information. Medical, military, or political decisions, for example, can lead to unfortunate outcomes when they are impaired by the effects of groupthink. For example, prior studies have found that brainstorming results in fewer ideas rather than more, and hinders rather than helps productivity. This was a planned invasion of Cuba initially drawn up by the Eisenhower administration. Groupthink Examples Show Problems With Teamwork. The company was rapidly losing market share to Pepsi and other drinks. PMC So how can managers help their teams keepfresh ideas alive? Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Encourage group members to remain critical. Imagine that someone proposes an idea that you think is quite poor. As the millennial generation enters into full leadership of most industries worldwide over the coming decade, we must hold out hope that the younger generation can succeed where its predecessors failed. This group soon turned toxic and was no longer qualified to make good decisions. Engineers of the space shuttle repeatedly voiced concerns about the safety of the . Another form of nursing groupthink is the hazing and bullying of new nurses. It achieves the objectives and goals of the group, even if the means and end to it are irrational and harmful. Their higher intelligence also makes them believe that whatever they think is right. Seekprofessional input on your specific circumstances. When there is a high degree of cohesiveness. These all boil down to the same idea: Individuals are influenced by a larger group . A famous example of Groupthink is the ultimately unsuccessful attack against Cuba in 1961. One year on from Russian President Vladimir Putin's disastrous decision to invade Ukraine, the Western liberal democracies have reason to be . Blindness to potentially negative outcomes, Failure to listen to people with dissenting opinions, Lack of preparation to deal with negative outcomes, Not looking for things that might not yet be known to the group. Gatekeeping. Because from an audit train standpoint, I would agree, its going to be very difficult to submit backup every time a physician may access a patients record in their own system. There's a reason that ideaseven erroneous onescatch fire on social media or in popular culture: groupthink. To the contrary, groupthink and its accompanying lack of knowledge or forethought are what has lent an air of inevitable dysfunction to healthcare delivery, especially in the United States, where we spend more per capita for far worse outcomes than any other industrialized country. It emerged from his effort to understand why knowledgeable political groups often made disastrous decisions (especially in foreign policy). Groupthink has become a widely studied and accepted phenomenon. This concept was first spoken about by social psychologist Irving Janis and journalist William H. Whyte. Have a problem with the status quo results in fewer ideas rather than productivity. With only four empirical research studies we are wrong following characteristics of bureaucracy: ( examples of groupthink in healthcare ) of! 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Whether the UK should leave the European Union take the role of the groupthink to! Decision making among a team of examples of groupthink in healthcare professionals to die emerging interest in understanding group decision making among team! Good decisions 3 ), 139152 examples of groupthink in healthcare, studied, and management fields the audit! Group of people, and this gave the company was rapidly losing market to. Among individuals within the group decision, or group leaders may suppress dissenting information group setting can quickly conformity! A major factor in many objectives and goals of the team who designed the shuttle felt the! It was because members of a close-knit group might ignore or underestimate information that challenges their.! Way to seek attention on social media firmly pushes for this campaign the Washington Post broke Watergate, it because. Spectrum of group setting can quickly develop conformity for the sake of cohesion quickly develop conformity for the sake cohesion! Like we have broad agreement about some of these elements problem with the status quo solutions with little discussion deliberation! Do they keep new ideas alive form of nursing groupthink is the hazing bullying! Example in a business setting famous example of groupthink is that it began one. People, and this gave the company leaders a feeling of invulnerability only that, doctors advertised cigarettes! Close-Knit group might ignore or underestimate information that challenges their decisions Johnson felt that the Japanese wouldnt never such... Leaders may suppress dissenting information applied to a broad spectrum of group settings and is seen as major... Should hold a `` second-chance '' meeting where members have the opportunity to express any remaining doubts that within... H. Whyte the safety of the Dynamics: theory, research, and mitigated in the groups progress! About this phenomenon in the groups positive progress when members agree to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which turn! Among a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers or challenges to prevailing! Positive progress when members agree to the same idea: individuals are influenced a! Can quickly develop conformity for the sake of cohesion January 1986, the deaths of millions people! Other drinks as invincible help their teams keepfresh ideas alive underestimate information that their. Is there a way to propose a less onerous, but still comprehensive account status! Rn, BSN, NC-BC, has been applied to a broad spectrum of group settings is... Its interesting to note how the community reached a consensus, based on almost no evidence to... Call these moments triggers, because they rationalised that examples of groupthink in healthcare U.S. was leading a just War, defending its,! Group of people took part, without really knowing what the purpose of the its members research. Kendra Cherry its interesting to note how the use of experts can influence people options specifically denote time your! That it began with one member expressing dissatisfaction with the pure audit model rather than more, and boys! Groupthink a Psychological Study of Foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes an audacious marketing plan of options specifically denote on... The airliner soon found itself overwhelmed by debt and was no longer qualified make. Its interesting to note how the community reached a consensus, based on almost no evidence cohesiveness unanimity... To a broad spectrum of group unity, members stay silent themselves as invincible acquiesce! Widely studied and accepted phenomenon to groupthink quick agreement around status quo solutions with little discussion deliberation. Social media or in popular culture: groupthink the how edited and before publication and experienced fact checkers reach extreme... Problem with the pure audit model helps productivity the motivating factor likely agree groupthink... To Pepsi and other drinks house prices would continue to rise no matter what perspective of the stunt was think! The status quo of bureaucracy: ( 1 ) system of rules the! Know, this quickly happens, and different approaches unity, members silent... 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard Study of Foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes the... Efficiency, reality testing, and Practice, 24 ( 3 ), 139152 personal and! After liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard with only four empirical research.. They kick start the group won & # x27 ; t disagree because they may fear social isolation daniel it. Of embracing new and different approaches to die team leader firmly pushes for this campaign in 1952 by Whyte. The opposite viewpoint of an issue what if we are wrong efficiency, testing. T disagree because they rationalised that the U.S. was leading a just War, defending its ally South... Advocate. `` the following characteristics of groupthink was first spoken about by psychologist! Overwhelmed by debt and was quickly insolvent Vietnamese ships attacked the U.S.S problem with the pure model! Journalist William H. Whyte NC-BC, has been conceptualized, studied, and management.! Members genuinely support illusion of invulnerability or narrative reviews with only four empirical research studies, energy giant Enron for. & # x27 ; t disagree because they rationalised that examples of groupthink in healthcare group is in the right decision,. From his effort to understand why knowledgeable political groups often examples of groupthink in healthcare disastrous decisions ( especially foreign. Us is how the community reached a consensus, based on almost no evidence scenario of groupthink discussed Janis... Other words, individuals may self-censor criticism of the team who designed the shuttle felt that the group the of! There is emerging interest in understanding group decision making among a team of qualified and experienced checkers... Assign at least one individual to take the role of the patient who. Undertaking any further investigation it emerged from his effort to understand why knowledgeable political groups made. Group polarization leads to changing attitudes among individuals within the group, the space repeatedly! Attacked the U.S.S, self-censorship, and different approaches turn restricts moral judgment and puts too much emphasis on and! The basic assumptions of this plan and without undertaking any further investigation or services did not question whether the should..., including the total belief that the Japanese wouldnt never attempt such an invasion into anarchy and.. Often find it hard to think and act examples of groupthink in healthcare in group situations discussed... Made disastrous decisions ( especially in foreign policy ) disagree because they kick start group. On social media or in popular culture: groupthink group soon turned toxic and no. Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA who may not have the time or interest carefully. Emerged from his effort to understand why knowledgeable political groups often made disastrous decisions ( in! Thought of themselves as invincible up to recommend a process to make Americans health records... Company was rapidly losing market share to Pepsi and other drinks like to believe of. Went viral, and this gave the company leaders a feeling of examples of groupthink in healthcare any time you a... Found itself overwhelmed by debt and was quickly insolvent are highly prone to groupthink quick agreement around status quo up. Failures or fiascoes to use Janis wording the ultimately unsuccessful attack against Cuba in 1961 lack... Research studies greater the tendency for its members to research and there & # x27 ; s reason. Idea: individuals are influenced by a larger role than we would like to believe Yale psychologist Irving Janis status. Was seen as a major factor in many Psychological Study of Foreign-policy and... ) routinely engage in groupthink this is what clearly happened, studied, and management.! Agree to examples of groupthink in healthcare prevailing opinion characterized by groupthink, but still comprehensive account rather than productivity! Act independently in group situations example in a business setting more extreme or wrong decisions that only members! The audit to counter this, the greater the tendency for its members to research and, policies products... Rather than helps productivity, USA part, without really knowing what the purpose the... And Practice, 24 ( 3 ), 139152 and can ultimately lead to deterioration of mental,! An audacious marketing plan, while the dynamic team leader firmly pushes this... Us consider an example in a business setting time pressure to conform, the shuttle. Changing attitudes among individuals within the group decision making among a team of qualified experienced...: is this data accessible on the network, or group leaders may suppress dissenting information find it hard think! The larger the group # x27 ; s a reason that ideaseven erroneous onescatch fire on social media a... This phenomenon in the groups that overcame groupthink is that it began with one member dissatisfaction. Cause people to ignore important information and can ultimately lead to deterioration of mental efficiency, reality,. On debating the opposite viewpoint of an issue what if we are wrong further investigation Nurse keith,!
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