Group Thinking
Essay #4
ENL
Word Count 868
Final Draft
Groupthink
Have you ever been in a group of people where the group decision is different from your thoughts but you reject to speak up because of the group pressure? The Sociological idea of an individual losing control of their behavior when they are in a group is defined as Groupthink. Some recent studied prove that when humans are in group, their actions are directly affected by the interaction with the group. In addition, there are evidences in which proves that groupthink can produce negative outcomes. The desire to be socially accepted and blend in with the rest is a powerful force. Numerous studies on groupthink have been done to illustrate human’s desire to be socially accepted. In the essay, “Conformity and Group Mentality” Samantha P. Lambert discussed one of the studies in which “college students often engage in…drinking games because of an anticipated outcome, or rather an outcome that some individuals intend to induce by participating such as new friendship relationships, and greater popularity” (Lambert ). This demonstrates how humans do whatever it takes just to fit in. It seems that our ambition of being socially accepted is so strong that we tend to be unconscious to our behavior. Despite the concerns of the negative impacts in absorbing alcohol, yet college students participate in drinking games just to be accepted by others. People’s behavior in a group can be motivated by their confidence. Self esteem determines how much influence a group has over an individual. People with low self esteem can easily be affected by the group. They quickly accept the group decision without questioning. The fear of being pressured by the group, or appearing unsupported leads those individuals to follow the group decisions without expressing their perspective. All that can be determine by how confident an individual is. However, individuals with high self esteem are not easily affected by groupthink. They are the
ENL
Word Count 868
Final Draft
Groupthink
Have you ever been in a group of people where the group decision is different from your thoughts but you reject to speak up because of the group pressure? The Sociological idea of an individual losing control of their behavior when they are in a group is defined as Groupthink. Some recent studied prove that when humans are in group, their actions are directly affected by the interaction with the group. In addition, there are evidences in which proves that groupthink can produce negative outcomes. The desire to be socially accepted and blend in with the rest is a powerful force. Numerous studies on groupthink have been done to illustrate human’s desire to be socially accepted. In the essay, “Conformity and Group Mentality” Samantha P. Lambert discussed one of the studies in which “college students often engage in…drinking games because of an anticipated outcome, or rather an outcome that some individuals intend to induce by participating such as new friendship relationships, and greater popularity” (Lambert ). This demonstrates how humans do whatever it takes just to fit in. It seems that our ambition of being socially accepted is so strong that we tend to be unconscious to our behavior. Despite the concerns of the negative impacts in absorbing alcohol, yet college students participate in drinking games just to be accepted by others. People’s behavior in a group can be motivated by their confidence. Self esteem determines how much influence a group has over an individual. People with low self esteem can easily be affected by the group. They quickly accept the group decision without questioning. The fear of being pressured by the group, or appearing unsupported leads those individuals to follow the group decisions without expressing their perspective. All that can be determine by how confident an individual is. However, individuals with high self esteem are not easily affected by groupthink. They are the
Cited: McCauley, Clark. "The Nature Of Social Influence In Groupthink: Compliance And Internalization." Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 57.2 (1989): 250- 260. PsycINFO. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. Fodor, Eugene M., and Terry Smith. "The Power Motive As An Influence On Group Decision Making." Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 42.1 (1982): 178-185. PsycINFO. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. Samantha, Lumbert P. "Conformity and Group Mentality." Great Ideas in Personality— Theory and Research. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/lumbert.removed>.