groupthink

Groupthink – “a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action”From my inference, group think, although at a glance seems absurd where people would easily give up their personal freedom to conform with one another, actually has a basis for it. Firstly, when a new member has just joined a new group, he/she should conform with the other in order to be accepted as a part of the group. Conformity pressure greatly influences a newcomer as he/she will be likely to get into trouble or ostracized by the rest of the group members if he/she expresses dissonant idea (Heylighen, 1992). Though Conformity pressure is relatively irrational as it often rejects adequate knowledge or idea; however, it is unavoidable since it implies that a belief does not vary among individuals. This first step of getting accepted by a group would have a prolong influence to an individual. A person, who at the first stage of adaptation into one group seems compliant would consider to keep such status (or maybe most of it) later so that his/her group members see him/her as a ‘faithful follower’. This is what most probably will contribute to Groupthink in a long term.