What Is Groupthink?

People often make decisions while being part of a group or team. When everyone can freely express their opinions without fear of judgment, it has a positive effect on both the group and the decisions it makes. Brainstorming sessions, a lack of bureaucracy, and a healthy psychological atmosphere help groups develop exponentially. However, when these factors are missing, serious problems can arise—one of the most significant being groupthink.

The phenomenon of groupthink was first identified and described by psychologist Irving Janis in his 1972 book Victims of Groupthink. The book is filled with examples of major historical mistakes made as a result of groupthink. Since Janis was American, most of his examples come from U.S. history, such as the Watergate scandal, President Lyndon Johnson’s decision to escalate the Vietnam War, and President Truman’s decision to enter the Korean War. Janis argued that the root cause was the unchanging composition of these groups, which led to unprofessional decisions that even a newcomer would have avoided.

Groupthink is the tendency of group members to agree with the majority or the group leader in order to minimize conflict, without critically evaluating the decisions being made. The group becomes dominated by a sense of unanimity, almost like a hypnotic state, where conformity is seen as the only correct way to think. The first thing that may come to mind is cult behavior, and that’s true, but we won’t focus on those extreme cases here. Even in everyday life, the consequences of groupthink can be extremely dangerous.

Consequences of Groupthink

• Leaders and those in charge, when faced with no criticism, can become so confident in their own superiority and infallibility that they make catastrophic decisions for the group. Arrogance kills the desire to improve and progress in management.
• Groupthink can lead to military losses, business failures, and social disasters.
• It becomes impossible to see things from a fresh perspective—or from any other perspective at all.
• Critical and creative thinking atrophies, unconventional approaches to problem-solving disappear, and the group’s outlook narrows.
• Members become so used to trusting the leader and following orders without hesitation that they may carry out obviously foolish tasks without doubting their correctness.

While groupthink can have some positive effects in certain situations, it’s incredibly difficult to keep it at an acceptable level. It’s hard to be “slightly” affected by groupthink and still think freely and critically most of the time. You might manage for a while, but in such a state of dissonance, your psyche won’t last long—it will either break or fully accept one set of rules.

Signs of Groupthink: Nine Warning Symptoms

Irving Janis identified eight main symptoms that indicate the onset of groupthink:

1. Illusion of invulnerability and infallibility. This leads to unjustified optimism (exaltation), which in turn causes the group to take greater risks.
2. Lack of personal responsibility for decisions. If responsibility is shared by everyone, it’s effectively on no one.
3. Unquestioned belief that the group only makes the right decisions and cannot be wrong.
4. Complete disregard for external signals that might challenge the group’s actions.
5. Portraying opponents in a negative light—seeing them as stupid or primitive.
6. Self-censorship. Members learn to think “correctly,” even when alone.
7. Illusion of unanimity. Silence is interpreted as agreement.
8. Pressure on dissenters. Attempts to “re-educate” nonconforming members.
9. “Mind guards.” Individuals who try to prevent “wrong” ideas from entering the group, shielding it from outside opinions.

Hierarchy in such groups is very pronounced. People with higher status influence those with lower status, and the latter are often forbidden from thinking independently—dissent is strictly suppressed.

How to Prevent Groupthink

Let’s start with groupthink in business. In many American companies, leaders often refrain from expressing their own opinions on a topic. Instead, they encourage employees to formulate their own thoughts, fostering subjectivity and creativity, while the leader remains objective and impartial. The line between boss and employee is blurred, which is seen as a new era in management.

Bringing in outside experts can give a company an objective, outsider’s perspective, free from internal politics. While their services can be expensive, the results can be significant. Similar results can be achieved by appointing “devil’s advocates”—people who deliberately criticize every group decision, forcing the team to examine problems from all angles and identify weaknesses. Dividing the group into independent subgroups can also be helpful.

Corporate culture is important, but employees should be encouraged to take initiative, make suggestions, ask questions, and participate in company life.

If you’re not a leader or manager but rather an employee, you can still prevent yourself from falling into groupthink. The most obvious solution is to quit or change your social circle. In many cases, it’s impossible to change the situation fundamentally, and if it is possible, it may take most of your life.

You need to develop critical thinking skills to avoid falling under the influence of groupthink. Make it a habit to always analyze the group’s actions and look for early warning signs. In many cases, principles of public speaking and persuasion can also help.