As an individual one has the ability to form their own unique opinions and make their own choices, but the way a person thinks or feels can easily be influenced by the surrounding environment. Being in a group setting can especially impact and triumph over one’s individual thoughts. This principle, known as group mind, is a collective set of ideas and opinions shared by a group that come together to form one mutual belief. It can become confusing to separate an individual’s opinion from the groups. A person needs to become aware of the effects of pressure within a group in order to remain objective.
Everyone belongs to a group whether it be through, “family, work groups, social, religious, and political groups” (Lessing 595). One seeks for a place to pertain to. Usually it is with people that
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In this test, however, they measuring lengths of lines. The subjects are given two cards, one with a single vertical line and the other with three. The subjects have to determine which line from the three is the same length as the single vertical line. Similar to the previous experiment, a selected few are instructed to state the wrong answer and the very last person is left to make their own choice. What Asch found was that a “considerable percentage yielded to the majority” (Asch 599). In any other setting, there is a very slight chance of someone choosing the wrong answer. This is further proof of how a group mind can effect one’s decisions. The pressure that comes from a group leads to people caving in and denouncing their own judgement. Asch concludes by bringing awareness to an issue in our society where even the “reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black” (Asch 602). After reviewing these results, most would agree that ‘independence was preferable to conformity” (Asch 602). A person should stand by their first instinct rather than complying to others
When in difficult situations, doing what is right is what is best, it shows true character, and truth is
There were two groups in this experiment, the teachers and students. All of the volunteers to the experiments were the teachers and they had some actors play the students. The idea was to punish the students for their wrong answer through a shock treatment (http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article35.htm 1). Throughout the experiment, they began to realize that the “test subjects”
When people are part of a group, they do not feel as if they are an individual, making them more susceptible to making detrimental choices. They believe that they are not going to be held accountable, that the emotions and the reasoning they are applying to their current situation is normal, because the people they are around are acting in the same way they are. Additionally, Tamara Avent commented on the behaviors of mobs by saying, “Groups can generate a sense of emotional excitement, which can lead to the provocation of behaviors that a person would not typically engage in if alone” (qtd. In Donley n. pag.). Groups can cause behaviors that people would not usually do if they were not in the group they were in.
The only real way to combat the negative effects of groupthink is to cast aside your surrounding society’s norms of what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’, and to take a personal stance against that society no matter what the cost may be. The Salem Witch Trials as represented in The Crucible by Arthur Miller are a perfect, if slightly extreme, example of what herd mentality can lead to if left long enough to fester and grow. John Proctor is the character who takes a stand against his surrounding society, losing his life in the process but also breaking the thrall of groupthink for the town of Salem, effectively setting them free from the Witch Trials. There are two main types of people affected by groupthink: those who unconsciously go with the crowd and are unaware, and those who are simply too scared to speak up.
All human beings are born different from each other and likewise, can act different from one another. It is through pausing and reflecting that one finds freedom. When straying away from a crowds ideals, more balanced decision making can be made. Analyse of a situation must be done by the individual and not the group to ensure that a person’s moral values trump any opposing group values. Hence, the number of people that may agree is completely irrelevant.
Herd behavior modified one’s thoughts and discourages others’ self-confidence. Group think influences others to not use their brains but to channel their emotions through feelings and emotions. This action to pressure individuals to conform, influence members of a group, to rely on others to stay safe and cancel out their opportunities to channel their own thoughts. In the teleplay “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” written by Rod Serling, the article “When Good People Do Bad Things” written by Ann Trafton, and the article “Why Do People Follow The Crowd?” reported by ABC News, all provide instances where people lose touch with themselves and behave differently in a crowd.
This is how groupthink is displayed because as said in the text, it was impossible to not join in. The way people were supposed to act was already somehow planned into their brains. They weren’t
Lastly, Rothwell explains how pressure toward uniformity is another general symptom of groupthink. This occurs when there is an assumed sense of agreement which results in no one speaking up when they have an opposing opinion (p. 251). Often times the false sense of uniformity causes there to be direct pressure on the deviants which does not allow for an open environment for opinions to be shared and considered (Rothwell, 2013, p
Groupthink is when a large group of people all agree with one opinion for the sake of unity rather than use facts and evidence to form their own opinions. Groupthink has the power to suppress different opinions by creating a feeling of peer pressure that suppresses other opinions. It is a powerful phenomenon that can prevent people from sharing their own ideas and merely agreeing to an idea due to their loyalty and lack of will to disagree. This practice has caused many problems throughout history. Groupthink is a powerful tool of manipulation when used by politicians and spearhead figures.
Group think According to Janis, who coined the term; groupthink “occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment” (1972, p. 9) further group think often leads to a decrease in the mental efficacy perception of reality and moral judgement, as personages find themselves in a group system that seeks high cohesion and unanimity which delimits the motivation of the individual to realistically appraise alternate courses of action (Janis, 1972). A common trait of a collective experiencing this phenomenon, is an inclination to take irrational decision making in addition to members of the group being similar in background and further being insulated from external insight. Comparably the singularity of groupthink is present in the film 12 Angry Men, and appears anecdotally, early on the film, present in the expected unanimous vote of ‘guilty,’ that will send the defendant to the electric chair. Invulnerability Literature surrounding the concept of group think is greatly rooted in the writings of Janis.
Psychologist Irving Janis explained some alarmingly bad decisions made by governments and businesses coined the term "groupthink”, which he called "fiascoes.” He was particularly drawn to situations where group pressure seemed to result in a fundamental failure to think. Therefore, Janis further analyzed that it is a quick and easy way to refer to a mode of thinking people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members ' striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action. According to Janis, groupthink is referred as the psychological drive for consensus at any cost that suppresses disagreement and prevents the appraisal of alternatives in cohesive decision-making groups.
In The Dangers of Groupthink, Naomi Karten provides the reader with a few of many examples on how they can avoid the dangerous phenomenon that is, Groupthink. Karten expresses her opinion by stating, “Diligently avoid a no-criticism culture and a no-criticism decision-making policy.” (The Danger of Groupthink, 2). Being able to avoid a nonconstructive environment is an extremely courageous step that can ultimately lead to one’s success. However, for one to achieve such a large task takes a tremendous effort, and requires one to place both their feelings and well being on the line.
Nevertheless such decision struggles make us all unique and at the same time create some form of unification among others alike. Selective exposure prevents dissonance; post-decision dissonance creates a need for reassurance and one can make justifications or form groups that support their beliefs and behaviours that result in the changing of attitudes or behavior to support the
It is a natural human instinct to want to be acknowledge by your peers, yet it is also important to be a critical thinker. Irving Janis in 1972 created the term groupthink. He believed groupthink occurs inside a group of similar people that want to keep from being different, resulting in incoherent decision-making. The 1957 film "12 Angry Men," uses groupthink, which influenced the verdict vote in the case of a teenager accused of murdering his father. The purpose of this essay is to examine groupthink and to represent Dr. Irving Janis’ symptoms of groupthink in the film.
A group needs to be a stable and positive environment in order to