Question

Which of the following is the best example of groupthink?

a) Sally enthusiastically presents a new software program to her employees at the monthly meeting and asks for their feedback. She notes that a decision needs to be made within the hour. One employee voices strong support, and quickly the others follow suit.
b) Lauren, the captain of the cheerleading squad, shows her fellow teammate three designs for their new uniforms. She asks the women to take a day or two to consider the new ideas and tell them that they will vote on the uniform design.
c) Henry is a juror in a murder trial. During deliberation, the 11 other jurors indicate that the defendant is guilty. Henry stubbornly refuses to vote "guilty" and explains his reasoning over and over until he convinces everyone else. In the end, the defendant is found not guilty.
d) Jake, the team leader, always has someone to play the "devil's advocate" in project planning meetings.

Answer 1

Option a represents the best example of groupthink, where employees quickly align with the initial positive reaction to a new software program without independent evaluation. It underscores the characteristics of groupthink such as the quick consensus and lack of individual scrutiny.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of groupthink refers to a situation where the individual opinions of members within a group are suppressed or modified to align with what is believed to be the group consensus. This often leads to decisions that might be more extreme or less effective than if individual members were making decisions independently. Symptoms of groupthink include a perception of invulnerability within the group, a strong belief in the group's morality, self-censorship, and an illusion of unanimity.

Looking at the provided options, option a is the best example of groupthink. In this scenario, as soon as one employee quickly supports Sally's software proposal, the others follow without much discussion, which indicates that members are aligning quickly with perceived group opinion without individually critical considerations.

To avoid groupthink, strategies such as seeking outside opinions, private voting, withholding the leader's position until all views are expressed, and carefully weighing options are recommended. It's important to foster an environment where diverse opinions are encouraged and considered, rather than succumbing to the pressure to conform.

In comparison, option b shows a healthy decision-making process where there is time for independent thought, while option c describes an individual standing against the group decision initially, which is opposite of groupthink. Option d demonstrates a strategic approach to prevent groupthink by involving a devil's advocate in discussions.