Question

The psychology department at a college is trying to decide whether to take a chance and hire Dr. Amanda Cole. Amanda is young and inexperienced, but she is enthusiastic and very well-liked by her students. Every member of the department is initially leaning toward taking the chance and hiring Amanda. According to group polarization, a meeting to discuss the issue is likely to have what result?

a) A discussion will reinforce the initial views because professors will hear novel arguments in favor of hiring Amanda
b) A discussion will allow Amanda's strengths and weaknesses to be fairly discussed, and the department will be able to reach a reasoned conclusion
c) Face-to-face discussions will result in group polarization, but a discussion conducted by exchanging emails will prevent group polarization
d) A discussion will moderate the initial views because some professors may voice their concerns with respect to hiring Amanda.

Answer 1

A meeting to discuss hiring Dr. Amanda Cole is likely to result in a stronger inclination to hire her due to group polarization, where initial leanings are amplified following group discussion.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to group polarization, a meeting to discuss the hiring of Dr. Amanda Cole is likely to result in option a): A discussion will reinforce the initial views because professors will hear novel arguments in favor of hiring Amanda. This is because group polarization is the phenomenon whereby an initial tendency of group members is amplified after discussing their views within a group. If the department members are already leaning toward hiring Amanda, the discussion is likely to lead to an even stronger endorsement of the decision to hire her.

Groupthink can be avoided by employing methods that encourage independent thinking and a thorough evaluation of all options. These strategies include seeking outside opinions, voting in private, and having the leader withhold their position statements until everyone has contributed. By considering these methods, groups can mitigate the risks of groupthink and make more balanced decisions.

In this case, since every member of the department is initially leaning toward hiring Amanda, the discussion is likely to reinforce their views and result in a stronger endorsement of hiring her.