" According to French (2009), some are of the opinion that avoiding groupthink is the main reason for Obama's assembly of apparent rivals in his cabinet. The author notes however that "healthy disagreement" is the best way to avoid groupthink rather than simply ensuring that there is no agreement within the group.
esearch Questions

Several questions emerge from the research problem. The first revolves around President Obama's ability to maintain a paradigm of multiple advocacy as opposed to groupthink in his foreign and domestic policy. Surely, if the Bush administration could begin so well and fail, the same is possible for Obama. Mr. Obama however appears to have avoided at least one mistake in this regard, by selecting a number of advisors he knows would not always agree with him. According to some critics, however, this is not enough (French, 2009). One should also ensure that the disagreement leads to sound decisions…...

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References

Cairo, Michael. (2009). From Multiple Advocacy to Groupthink: George W. Bush & the Decision to Invade Iraq. Retrieved from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p313626_index.html

French, Julie (2009, Jan 28). How to avoid the pitfalls of groupthink. Ashland Daily Tidings.  http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090128/NEWS02/901280317/-1/NEWS01 

Joyner, James (2010, Jan 11). Intelligence, Bureaucracy, and Groupthink. Outside the Beltway.  http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/intelligence_bureaucracy_and_groupthink/ 

Lee, Carol E. And Martin, Jonathan (2010, Dec. 1) . Obama warns against WH groupthink. Yahoo News.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081201/pl_politico/16076

Groupthink
Serving on a Jury amidst Groupthink

Jury duty -- that horrible obligation all American citizens have to endure. No one wants to do it; yet, it is a crime to try and unlawfully get out of it. Serving on a jury does pace the individual in a position of power to judge the innocence or guilt of another person. This is not a job that should be taken lightly, although many people do not wish to put for the great effort and time that is needed to serve on a jury without bias. Still, there are people's lives on the line. The defendants depend on he members of the jury to provide them a chance at an unbiased trial. Yet, the one thing that can hinder that process is groupthink. Unfortunately, groupthink can occur often within the context of a jury board, making it crucial for every individual to try to…...

Groupthink Team
Groupthink

Unfortunately, groupthink can cause the individual can often not retain their ability to think critically within a group setting. The research shows that groupthink occurs when "members of a group (or the entire group itself) begin to make faulty decisions due to the presumed pressures that result in collaboration" within a group setting (Woodward & Edwards 2010). Under the high influence and pressure of the group, many individuals may make decisions they would have otherwise avoided on their own. There are a number of examples of groupthink within current society and life that can attest to the negative power of the psychological power the group wields over the individual.

Example

The United States created a new precedent when then President Bush declared war on the nation of Iraq, when the country had not taken blatant obvious military action against the U.S. prior to the decision. Before this action, the United States…...

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References

PsySR. (2011). Groupthink overview. Public Resources. Web. Retrieved from  http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm 

Ricara, Elena. (2012). Nazi and Groupthink. Think Before You Eat. Web. Retrieved from  http://champagne-cakelicious.blogspot.com/2009/02/im-going-to-post-something-here-soon.html 

Woodward, Regina & Edwards, Ginny. (2010). Examples of groupthink process. Collaboration. Bright Hub. Web. Retrieved from  http://www.brighthub.com/office/collaboration/articles/85774.aspx

Communication and GoupThink
Do you agee with Hat's citicism that Janis' suggestions fo avoiding Goupthink "inadvetently eode collegiality and foste goup factionalism"? Do you think Hat's suggestions ae pefeable, o do they intoduce othe unintended negative consequences? Can the two sets of suggestions coexist?

Although Janis eseach on the phenomenon of goupthink has opened an entiely new field within goup dynamics, the initial suggestions that he offeed to goups to avoid such instances could cetainly "inadvetently eode collegiality and foste goup factionalism." Some level of goup think is actually natual and health especially in egads to the cohesiveness of the goup. Howeve, Janis believes that the focus on vigilant decision making by a five step effot to ceate and follow objectives. Howeve, ove focusing on the goupthink issue can actually ceate an entie new set of poblems and educe the functionality of the goup.

Hat has pepaed a sepaate set of suggestions of…...

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references that were made by group members on the run up to the war. There also seemed to be many self-appointed mindguards since even the Germans who collected the intelligence from Curveball were shocked when this intelligence was used as a pretext for war. With these factors, as well as many others, it seems the invasion of Iraq could serve as a classical modern example of the groupthink phenomenon.

The jury members listened and accepted what he said. When one person shows the other jury members that the knife is not so unique after all, they begin to realize there might be other things to reasonably doubt in the prosecution's case as well.
This worked well in the story because the jury foreman didn't demand loyalty from the other jury members. He didn't any power over them. They wouldn't lose their status or their jobs if they displeased him. The jury was only a group for a few hours and their livelihoods did not depend on the decisions they made or the opinions they expressed. Juries are not permanent, even though the decisions they reach could have permanent consequences for the defendant. Their own "fate" is not at stake as it would be if they were members of an advisory council for the president, for example. Who would want…...

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References

Janis, I. (1992). Groupthink. In Theories of Human Communication (5th Ed.), Ed. Stephen Littlejohn. California: Wadsworth Publishing.

Groupthink-No-More Guidelines for TeamsPromoting Diversity of PerspectivesGroupthink often stems from a lack of diverse perspectives within a team (Northagen, 2021). When everyone thinks alike or shares similar viewpoints, the team becomes susceptible to groupthink. To counter this, it is important to actively encourage the sharing of different opinions and perspectives (Dall'Acqua, 2021). This can be achieved by creating a team composition that is diverse in terms of expertise, experiences, and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, during discussions, the team should make it a point to solicit views from all members, especially those who are typically quiet or whose views are often overshadowed by the more vocal members (Van Bavel et al., 2020).Establishing a Culture of Open Dialogue and Constructive CriticismOne of the reasons groupthink persists is the fear of conflict or the desire for harmony within the group. However, this can often lead to poor decision-making. Thus, it is essential to promote…...

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References

Dall\\\\\\'Acqua, L. (2021). Exploring Cognitive Biases, Groupthink, and Polythink Syndrome in Security Decisions and Business Outcomes. In Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Risk Management and Cyber Intelligence (pp. 47-61). IGI Global.

Hisrich, R. D., & Soltanifar, M. (2021). Unleashing the creativity of entrepreneurs with digital technologies. Digital Entrepreneurship: Impact on Business and Society, 23-49.

Northagen, P. S. (2021). Dysfunctional Group? An Analysis of Groupthink Content in Introduction to Communication Studies Textbooks (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Dakota).

Working in a group presents unique challenges, some of which emerge not during times of conflict, but ironically, during harmonious interactions. As Sunstein & Hastie (2015) point out in the first few chapters of Wiser, "happy talk" can be detrimental to group performance and productivity. Groups need to have people who are willing to voice their concerns and doubts. Too much "yes" spirit leads to complacency, which leads to the group repeating the same mistakes over and over. The social pressures of group dynamics can also lead to unwanted behavioral issues such as polarization, during which people become more extremely committed to their points-of-view instead of being open to and influenced by their teammates. Another potential detriment to group productivity is the cascade effect, which is basically a type of mob mentality. Sunstein & Hastie (2015) therefore help readers to identify the problems associated with groupthink.
Whereas the first chapter introduces…...

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References

Sunstein, C.R. & Hastie, R. (2015). Wiser. Harvard Business Review.

Groupthink can also influence the wider cultural context. Mullen, Calogero and Leader (2007) for example examined the phenomenon known as ethnonyms among different racial groups. Ethnonyms is a term referring to the designations that an in-group uses to distinguish itself from out-groups. These influence the groupthink dynamic, as it encourages homogeneous thinking and paradigms. Indeed, the authors found that intergroup hostility is directly related to these ethnonyms. The dangers of groupthink can therefore be avoided by encouraging diversity and critical thinking on the internal level.

eferences

Mullen, Brian, Calogero, achel M., Leader, Tirza I. (2007, Apr.). A social psychological study of ethnonyms: Cognitive representation of the in-group and intergroup hostility.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol 92(4), pp. 612-630.

Sommers, Samuel . (2006, Apr.). On racial diversity and group decision making: Identifying multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations.

Journal of Personality and…...

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References

Mullen, Brian, Calogero, Rachel M., Leader, Tirza I. (2007, Apr.). A social psychological study of ethnonyms: Cognitive representation of the in-group and intergroup hostility.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol 92(4), pp. 612-630.

Sommers, Samuel R. (2006, Apr.). On racial diversity and group decision making: Identifying multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol 90(4), pp. 597-612.

Social Facilitation, Social Inhibition, And Social Loafing
The objective of this study is to provide a description of the characters in the media program demonstrating social loafing, social inhibition, and social facilitation. One of the characters will be selected by using the current literature and two ways their behavior might be mitigated will be explained. This work will additionally describe a situation in which negative consequences were observed resulting from groupthink or group polarization and use an article from the current literature to explain how on alternative to groupthink or group polarization could have been used in that situation.

Social Loafing, Social Inhibition, and Social Facilitation

Social loafing is described as "the tendency to reduce individual effort when working in groups compared to the individual effort expended when working alone." (Piezon and Donaldson, n.d., p.1) Social facilitation is described as the increase "of individuals' performance in the presence of others" while social inhibition…...

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Works Cited

Klehe, UC, Anderson, N., and Hoefnagels, EA (2007) Social Facilitation and Inhibition During Maximum vs. Typical Performance Situations. Human Performance, 20(3), 223-239. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Retrieved from:  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CFYQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F228489268_Social_facilitation_and_inhibition_during_maximum_versus_typical_performance_situations%2Ffile%2Fe0b495236dce132488.pdf&ei=Ji9LUtW7DOfi4AP7gYHQDg&usg=AFQjCNEILSkosHlyJ1cqNRKN9h02NlV1Dg&sig2=tfNVahZuqSCqEibjgfDmPw&bvm=bv.53371865,d.dmg 

Piezon, S. And Donaldson, RL (n.d.) Online Groups and Social Loafing: Understanding Student-Group Interactions. Retrieved from:  http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter84/piezon84.htm 

Rovio, E. (2009) Can High Group Cohesion Be Harmful? A Case Study of a Junior High Ice-Hockey Team. Sage Publishers.

Social Psychology Week 5: The Virtual Office

Social psychology is a very broad field that takes in the many varieties of group dynamics, perceptions and interactions. Its origins date back to the late-19th Century, but it really became a major field during and after the Second orld ar, in order to explain phenomena like aggression, obedience, stereotypes, mass propaganda, conformity, and attribution of positive or negative characteristics to other groups. Among the most famous social psychological studies are the obedience experiments of Stanley Milgram and the groupthink research of Irving Janus (Feenstra Chapter 1). Authority figures are very important in influencing the behavior and attitudes of groups, as advertising pioneers like Edward Bernays and Nazi propagandists like Josef Goebbels realized early in the 20th Century. Human beings naturally categorize others into groups, and attribute values, attitudes and stereotypes to them, while they also tend to favor members of their own group (Feenstra Chapter 2). Social psychologists have…...

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WORKS CITED

Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. Penguin Books, 2006.

Cooper, S. "A Closer Look at Racial Profiling" in S.J. Muffler (ed). Racial Profiling: Issues, Data and Analyses. Nova Science Publishers, pp. 25-30, 2006.

Ewen, Stuart. PR!: A Social History of Spin. NY: Basic Books, 1996.

Feenstra, Jennifer. Introduction to Social Psychology. Bridegeport Education, Inc., 2011.

The ignorance which was nuisance has been removed. In a group where the people of equal status have gathered, have the sense and aptitude towards the relevant topic, the grouping of people with difference in status might not be productive, and the possibility of the singularity of idea, and acceptance on the basis of seniority are the elements of concern. The lower status member is less likely to oppose the debate and conduct of the group activities, which will develop groupthink. The lower status member is less likely to be among the dissenters because such act will offend the seniors, which will develop negative consequences over the performance and the professional association with the company and the high command.
Question No. 3

The occurrence of the groupthink can be avoided, provided that the leader of the group plays dominant, neutral and significant role in the proceedings of the group session. It…...

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References

Michael Rosander. Groupthink: An Inquiry into the Vicissitudes of Regressive Group Processes. Linkpings universitet. 2003. pp. 143-176.

Robert J. Brym, John Lie. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. Thomson Wadsworth Publication. 2006. pp. 123-154.

Most retail environments are plagued by high turnover. While some of this has to do with a lack of motivation, much of the problem lies in the company's inability to create high-performance teams capable of taking on challenges and making decisions with peers to help solve problems within the company (Janis, 1972). In any environment, when a successful team is lacking, so too is motivation and consistency of performance. None of these traits are evident however, within the Container Store's case study.
Escalation of commitment - the Container store adopts the ideal of escalation of commitment as stated by the store's managers who follow the McGregor Theory Y This theory suggests that employees are not by nature "lazy" and will often perform in the best manner possible and commit to the company if given an opportunity to feel empowered to make decisions without the need to "check in" with members…...

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References

Ahlfigner, N.R. & Esser, J.K. (2001). Testing the groupthink model: Effects of promotional leadership and conformity predisposition. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 29(1): 31-42.

Janis, I.L. (1972). Victims of groupthink. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Vroom, V.H. (1964). Work and Motivation. New York: Wiley

Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of emotion and motivation, New York:

Self and Social Psychology
Social psychology is a relatively new field of study in modern science. Its focus is on the identity of the "Self" -- the sense of individuality: the component parts that make up who one "is" and the meaning of the "whole" Self. This paper acts as a referenced for individuals unfamiliar with the general principles of social psychology. It aims to provide the reader with a basic overview of the field and to define key principles often used by social psychologists.

Discovering the Self

Self-Concept, Awareness, and Self-Schemas

Discovering the Self in social psychology can seem as simple as posing the question, "Who am I?" (Myers, 2010, p. 13). But answering the question is where the discovery of Self really begins. One's sense of identity, sense of self, sense of gender, race, categorical social grouping all factor into the answer. "Who am I?" raises the issue of self-concept, the totality…...

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Reference List

Aronson, E., Wilson, T., Akert, R. (2012). Social Psychology. NY: Pearson.

Hewitt, J.P. (2009). Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University

Press.

Jung, C. (1921). Psychological Types. Zurich: Rascher Verlag.

A change of leadership and divisive social forces might pressure such hatreds into re-erupting, but these hatreds are still historical 'products.'
A balance between history and psychology is needed to fully understand why mass political atrocities occur. A diffusion of responsibility during the action such as a war or a collective lynching can be a facilitating factor, but the social and historical context must be acknowledged. An authority that validates the atrocity, as in the case of Hitler or Milosevic can legitimize terror, but the people's responsiveness to that figure has its roots in culture and collective psychology. Furthermore, distance from authority can also create a sense of validation -- although lynching was never part of the official justice system of the South, it was obvious that the authorities were willing to ignore lynchings, provided they was done under the cover of night. The repercussions for protecting African-Americans and treating…...

team I was welcomed to observe contains divorced women of varying ages, from 30 to 40. The team members also had varying ethnic backgrounds. All of these women had different experiences with one thing in common; they had all had divorced and now desired a new life very free from that stress. The environment was relaxed and welcoming. The team members were free to sit where they felt comfortable, and the whole atmosphere was relaxing and calm. There were sofas placed around the table. It almost had an atmosphere like a get-together for log time friends.
The vision of the team is to help women divorcees in any situation restore their lives and stand on their feet. Depending on this, the mission describes what the group wants to do and how. This team seems to work to allow women that have experienced divorce to learn from one another's experiences. The…...

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References

Conyne, R.K. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Group Counseling. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Forsyth, D. (2009). Group Dynamics. New York: Cengage Learning

Franz, T.M. (2012). Group Dynamics and Team Interventions: Understanding and Improving Team Performance. London: John Wiley & Sons

Haynes, N.M. (2012). Group Dynamics: Basics and Pragmatics for Practitioners. New York: University Press of America

Influence of Social Media on Societal Norms and Behaviors: Insights from Thesis Research Studies

Social media has emerged as a ubiquitous force in contemporary society, profoundly shaping societal norms and behaviors. Thesis research studies have extensively examined the multifaceted impact of social media on human interactions, values, and beliefs.

Shifting Social Interactions and Relationships

1. Digital Communication Over Traditional Channels:

Social media platforms have facilitated a shift from face-to-face communication to digital interactions (Backstrom et al., 2012). This has led to increased communication frequency but may also have implications for social isolation and the quality of relationships (Verduyn et al., 2015).

2. Online Social....

Outsiders can bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to a group or community. They may not be influenced by the existing norms or biases within the group, allowing them to offer innovative solutions to problems or challenges. Outsiders may also bring a different cultural or experiential background, providing a more diverse and inclusive viewpoint to discussions and decision-making processes. Additionally, outsiders can serve as a catalyst for change and growth within the group, challenging members to think creatively and critically about their beliefs and practices.Overall, outsiders can bring a valuable outsider's perspective that can help a group or community evolve....

Authority: A Shaping Force in Decision-Making and Behavior

Authority, the power or right to give orders, make decisions, or enforce rules, wields a profound influence on individuals' decision-making processes and behavior. This power dynamic shapes how people perceive, process, and respond to information, often affecting their choices and actions.

Perceptual Bias

Authority figures can create a perceptual bias, influencing how individuals perceive and interpret information. When faced with conflicting or ambiguous information, people tend to defer to authority and rely on their judgment. This deference can lead to selective attention, where individuals focus on information that supports the authority's position while ignoring or....

Authority and Its Influence on Individuals in Group Settings

Within human societies, authority plays a crucial role in shaping individual actions and decisions, especially in group settings. Authority refers to the formal or informal power that an individual or institution possesses over others, granting them the ability to influence and direct behavior. In group settings, authority can take various forms, such as leadership, managerial positions, or expertise-based influence.

Direct Influence on Actions:

Authority directly influences individuals' actions by setting expectations, providing guidelines, and establishing consequences. Leaders or authoritative figures have the power to issue orders, assign tasks, and define rules. This direct influence....