Social Psychology

Group decisions usually prove to be better than individual based decisions, but two types of group decisions including group polarization and groupthink may lead to unwise decisions. Group polarization is the result of a group of individuals becoming more opposed to each other views than were before (lightly favored views will become strongly favored, while lightly unfavored will become strongly unfavored views). This causes worse decisions to be made within the group due to opposition. Groupthink occurs when the group’s main task is to reach an agreement, and they forget about the importance of evaluating the problem at hand. Groupthink usually happens when members are strongly attached to the group, when an external threat is present, and when there is a strong-minded leader at the head of the group. Because everyone wants to keep things harmonious, it can create a tunnel vision effect, in which certain individuals may not express important ideas if they will conflict, or they will just take the words of other members and the leader. Suggestions to negate the effects of groupthink include encouraging group members to consider all alternatives and weigh evidence, asking the group leader avoid stating preferences, encouraging outsiders to offer opinions and analyses, having group members or outsiders challenge/counter the groups ideas, dividing the group up to independently review issues, and holding group meeting to reassess the situation and evaluate any new information before making any final decisions.