Groupthink Case Study

"Group Decision Fiascoes Continue: Space Shuttle Challenger and a Revised Groupthink Framework" is a review of the tragedy that took place on January 28, 1986 when the space shuttle, Challenger, exploded shortly after launch. This review tells of how "groupthink" was the likely cause of the accident. The fact that we as a society so easily succumb to groupthink says a lot about us. First, it shows how we are a very conformist society. Peer pressure is still very difficult for us to resist even when something as serious as someone's life is at stake. In order for us not to stick out, we decide to keep our mouths shut about our opinions and reasoning. Our fear of standing out is a dangerous one that has ultimately cost the lives of innocent people. In the Challenger case, groupthink had turned the review upside down. The engineering staff that was advising the leading
That disturbing news seems to point to the fact that we do not take into account the mistakes of our past. Even after noting the numerous accidents that have taken place because of groupthink, many corporations and even our own government falls into this trap. The bankruptcy of Enron, the second disaster with the Columbia space shuttle, and even the decision to go to war with Iraq seems to deal with groupthink. In each case, overconfidence, little research into alternatives, group isolation, and many other factors all lead to these disasters. It seems that most people don't notice that groupthink is taking place until it is looked at afterwards. If we do not take measures to prevent this from happening again, greater tragedies could occur. It is even suspected that a war that could have otherwise been avoided was waged because of groupthink. That in and of itself should be proof of how dangerous groupthink can be. Such incidents should be looked at more carefully so that they can be