So as many of you learned from reading the chapter and going to class, GROUPTHINK is a concept we need to learn for the test! Groupthink is an occurrence in which a group is predisposed to seek a common opinion and seemingly incapable of voicing a deviant opinion (Janis, 1982). Irving Janis argued that three factors influenced the presence of group think: group cohesion, group structure, and situational stress. To illustrate these factors of group think, I will use a very large group I have a lot of experience with: my boyfriend's family! My boyfriend's entire familial clan consists of eight immediate family members plus three significant others for a grand total of eleven beautiful people! Surely with such a large number of people, some instances of groupthink would be evident! We will soon seeee!
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| Only half of the full clan. |
The first factor that influences groupthink is group cohesion, that is, how focused the group was on excluding deviant opinions. So, for example, a group with high-cohesion would have low tolerance for anyone with a dissenting opinion. This high-cohesion would encourage groupthink. However, my boyfriend's family is very accepting of opinions that deviate from the norm. In fact, there are so many different opinions on things that sometimes it is hard to tell what the norm is. While they do share several strong core beliefs, dinners are usually filled with exciting things from playful banter to stern discussions to passionate arguments as this particular large group overflows with diverse opinions. This is a particular trait I love about this family, because it actively inhibits groupthink by having such strong deviations that a norm is hard to find! Therefore, I can express whatever opinion I want without feeling afraid of being looked down on as someone "different" from the group when they ask me whether I believe in things such as the death penalty.
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| SO MANY DEVIATING OPINIONS!!! |
The second factor, group structure, is also very influential in predicting group think behaviour. This family is fairly traditional in their core beliefs (such that the father is the head of the household and the final word). The father reaffirms this status by lightheartedly saying "I am the gosh durn paterfamilias of this here family!" This sort of focus on a single leader is the type of group structuring that would lead to strong groupthink. However, this factor does not seem to influence this family under most circumstances. Although they consider the father to be "the final word," they rarely get to the point where they think it necessary for the word to be finalized. That is, this family and their many dissenting opinions typically find solutions and plans throughout open (and often confusing) discourse. While the father certainly has a say in what is going to happen, all members are the group are equally open to (and equally prejudiced against) other's suggestions.
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| I have been negligent about posting cat pictures, so here is their youngest child modeling their kittens! |
HOWEVER, the third factor, situational stress, is the factor that for this family allow the other two factors to matter. In situations that are low stress (er, as "low stress" as you can have in a family this large), the family is able to operate and find functionality in constantly negotiating and intertwining their opinions. But while dinner discussions and party planning is able to unfold without much evidence of groupthink, this rapidly shifts when the family enters a high stress situation. Having seen this family on vacation, marrying off one of their own, and preparing for several funerals, I can safely say that their overall loose family dynamic becomes much more groupthink-esque during these high stress situations. While the family members are each responsible for different tasks during these high stress situations, the nature of these tasks and the oversight of their completion is almost solely dictated by the parents. In situations like these, time is often urgent and emotions rampant. The shift to groupthink makes a lot of sense in these situations, since an opinion consensus will increase the group support and cohesion felt within the group members. So when this family is in stressful situations, the quickness to which they change to and focus on a common opinion becomes a strong coping mechanism in their lives.
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| OPINIONS RAPIDLY APPROACHING GROUPTHINK. |
And that, dear reader, is how different factors affect the extent to which a group may be influenced by groupthink! In general, less groupthink is better, because a high amount of groupthink will prioritize consensus over accuracy and can set groups on faulty and dangerous paths with every member in the group afraid to speak out against the group. So next time you are with your family, make sure that you think about what they are doing instead of just going along with it! While group unity and support is important, it is even MORE important to not sacrifice that comfort for blindness.
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| A post high-stress situation picture! Que guapos! |
(Word count: 817)
Janis, I. L. (1982). Groupthink. (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
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