Social Psychology - Groupthink

2. DEFINITION
PHENOMENON THAT OCCURS WHEN MEMBERS OF A COHESIVE GROUP ARE
CONCERNED WITH QUICKLY REACHING A CONSENSUS IN THEIR DECISION MAKING
WITHOUT CRITICALLY ANALYZING AND EVALUATING IDEAS.

3. ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR
• WHAT HAPPENED?
• WAS A SURPRISE, PREEMPTIVE MILITARY
STRIKE BY THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE
NAVY AIR SERVICE UPON THE UNITED
STATES
• THE ATTACK LED TO THE UNITED
STATES' FORMAL ENTRY INTO WORLD
WAR II THE NEXT DAY.
• 68 KILLED
35 WOUNDED

4. Illusions of invulnerability
creating excessive optimism
and encouraging risk taking
Rationalizing warnings that
might challenge the group’s
assumptions.
SYMPTOMPS OF GROUPTHINK

5. Ignore that
had a tendency to launch attack before
declaring war
• The military confirmed his theory that aircrafts
attacking from the Pacific would be undetected &
would break havoc on the harbor.
• Despite these results, the military refused to
reexamine their defenses
• US underestimated Japanese intentions and
continued sending scrap iron, and other raw
materials to Japan.
• 9 years before the bombing, Admiral Frank
Schofield anticipated a possible attack from
Hawaii to Pacific

6. STRATEGIES
FOR
OVERCOMING
THE
TENDENCY OF
GROUPTHINK Allow Allow for independent evaluation
Gather Gather outside opinions
Assign Assign the role of devil’s advocate
Encourage Encourage conflict and debate