Preview

Group Think Scenario

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
611 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Group Think Scenario
The scenario is a group of ten adults at the Department of Public Works who have been chosen, via a drawing in their city, to enter a contest where they may compete in a citywide. The contestants are vying for best float in the Mardi Gras parade being held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The winners of the contest will have $25,000 donated to the company, an all-expense paid trip to the destination of their choice and bragging rights. The ages of the members in this group do not vary much; from the ages of 35 years old to 42 years old. The genders are 6 male and 4 female. There are certain requirements that have to be met in order participate as a member of the float committee. A. Must be over the age of 17.B. Must be a resident of Louisiana. C. Must have a high school education or equivalent and D. Must be an actively full-time or part-time employee of the Department of Public Works. All of the float committee members have met the requirements to be a part of the team that will design a float that could possibly be a winner in the annual parade. The team has 2 months in order to execute a plan for a float. This is the same team that have entered and won 4 years in a row. This group is very homogenous and will not divert from its previous plan. They do not listen to outside opinions or associate themselves with anyone who may have different ideas from the previous years. They have years of experience in this regard and several of them have worked for this company since graduating high school. The group basically has a mutual understanding. There is an underlying silent code that is never questioned by anyone. The members all have their own views but choose to accept the views of the group leader in order to keep with the group conscience. All of the committee members know each other, they are all from the same social background, and have the commonality of sharing the same kind of ideology. This group homogeneity is an example of groupthink. No one in the group

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    4) Groupthink is when individuals held back their stating views in a meeting and agreed to someone else's position or can go along with the boss suggestion when in fact the individual disagreed with suggestions. These caused a highly cohesive teams to lose their critical evaluative capabilities. There are several symptoms of groupthink such as illusions of invulnerability, Belief in inherent group morality, self-censorship by members, illusions of unanimity, mind guarding, rationalizing unpleasant and disconfirming data. Illusions of invulnerability are one symptom of groupthink because the members who form part of the team assume that the team is well capable of criticism or is beyond attack. The belief in inherent group morality…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conflict Management Plans

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Each member must be willing to bend a little so the group can reach their common goal…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    12 Angry Men Groupthink

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This group of 12 men who did not know each other walked into the room to discuss this case, showed the first sign of groupthink, as they had already formed the perception of unanimity. Through the movie the group dynamics are on show with both the groupthink and group shift phenomena, the influencing…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Group Minds

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Essay” Group Minds” was written by Doris Lessing. In it, she argues that the government retains “hard information” about human actions/behaviour from schools to keep people submissive. “We (the human race) are now in possession of a great deal of hard information about ourselves, but we do not use it to improve our institutions and therefore our lives. (266)” This is information that will set people free from “blind loyalties, obedience to slogans, rhetoric, leaders, and group emotions. (267)” Lessing firmly believes this would be useful, if students learn to deliberate these rule with an indifferent approach. Which, as a result will improve schools and students lives; more people will become individuals and learn to withstand group pressures.…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Group Minds

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Group Minds is a very interesting and informative piece. Author Doris Lessing does a very good job trying to inform people about what is wrong with groups changing your opinion, and the idea that we do not use the information we have to improve ourselves. She offers a lot of good information, including an experiment that adds to her opinion about social groups.…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Group Proposal

    • 3120 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Bagley, C. & Tremblay, P. (2000). Elevated rates of suicidal behavior in gay, lesbian, and…

    • 3120 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Group Minds

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The article "Group Mind" by Doris Lessing was about people wanting to be in groups. A group is several people with a common interest. Being in a group gives us a sense of belonging; people out there being just like us. Lessing says; "We tend to think the way the group does: may even joined the group to find "like minded" people" (Lessing 357). This is because if we see other people in the world that are like us, then we will feel more wanted.…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is imperative to start the essay from providing basic background about groupthinking. According to Turner (1998), groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences.…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Group Minds

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Dismissing your own individual opinions to reach group consensus, now that’s negative peer pressure! Peer pressure will always be a problem and can affect anyone. I say that because no matter where you’re from or who you are, peer pressure is lurking about. Anytime you’re pressured to do something and your conscience is telling you not to do it, and you follow through with the task anyway, that is dismissing your opinion just to please other group members. Not wanting to be ostracized by others is the basis of conformity. Peer pressure doesn’t discriminate against race, nationality, or social class. It’s like a plague waiting to spread like wildfire throughout your school, your workplace, even your home-life. Some may think that’s too dramatic, but I envision it as the horrid truth. The article “Group Minds,” written by Doris Lessing, comes from her series of the 1985 Massey Lectures. Lessing declares “When we 're in a group, we tend to think as that group does: we may even have joined the group to find "like-minded" people. But we also find our thinking changing because we belong to a group.” I believe that no one realizes that their opinions are at risk of becoming dismissed just because they want to fit. The new-comers insist on becoming accepted, and as a result of that, we tend to forget about our own opinions, whether we agree or not.…

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Groupthink- A phenomenon that occurs in decision making when group members avoid disagreement as they strive for consensus.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Groupthink Examples

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I have always had a different idea of what groupthink really means, to me I thought of it as a bad idea from someone amongst a group of people that had not been voiced seemingly because the person having this thought lacks confidence or backing. More like trying to proof to your business partners that an idea of using an outdated tactic to target a young crowd is not the best idea In its own definition Wikipedia(2013) describes groupthink as a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision- making outcome, whereas it can also be viewed as the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Groupthink Analysis

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Superficially the ideas promoted through groupthink often result in decisions appearing well founded and heavily supported, however the outcomes of such decisions are most frequently detrimental. Factors of cognitive dissonance are quite often evident in members of groupthink decisions, with individuals finding in reflection that they generally possessed ideas starkly contrasting the concepts which they just publically supported. Such incongruity in beliefs and decisions according to Hackman and Johnson arise when groups “put unanimous agreement above all other considerations” (Hackman Johnson 214). Personally through my participation in my local caving club, the Paha Sapa Grotto, I have witnessed and fallen victim to groupthink, the ramifications of which are still negatively effecting the grotto today.…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are eight symptoms of groupthink. The first symptom is when all or most of the group view themselves as invincible which causes them to make decisions that may be risky. The group has an enormous amount of confidence and authority in their decisions as well as in themselves. They see themselves collectively better in all ways than any other group and they believe the event will go well not because of what it is, but because they are involved. The second symptom is the belief of the group that they are moral and upstanding, which leads the group to ignore the ethical or moral consequences of the decisions. The group engages in a total overestimation of its morality. There is never any question that the group is not doing the right thing, they just act. The disregarding of information or warnings that may lead to changes in past policy is the third symptom. Even if there is considerable evidence against their standpoint, they see no problems with their plan. Stereotyping of enemy leaders or others as weak or stupid is the fourth symptom. This symptom leads to close-mindedness to other individuals and their opinions. The fifth symptom is the self-censorship of an individual causing him to overlook his doubts. A group member basically keeps his mouth shut so the group can continue in harmony. Symptom number six refers to the illusion of unanimity; going along with the majority, and the…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Group Think

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Illusions of Morality: Members believe that their decisions are morally correct ignoring the ethical consequences of their decisions.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Example Of Groupthink

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This week’s reading addressed some interesting points, but in several of those points overlooked a crucial aspect. What was overlooked was that in several of the groups talked about the leader of the group had unquestionable power. The question I would pose is how groups would overcome the groupthink mentality when they have to please appease the ideas of a single individual.…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays