Groupthink
... Janis, a professor of psychology at Yale University, introduced his idea of “groupthink” and its effect on decision-making. “Groupthink refers to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgment that results from in-group pressures” (Janis, 266). ... Groupthink is Janis’ explanation for the poor decision-making that occurs when a small group of people work together. The idea of groupthink manifested itself after reading about the Bay of Pigs, however this hypothesis was based on observations made on a small group of ordinary citizens in a self help clinic. By examining members of a group of heavy smokers in meetings to quit their habit, Janis was able to construct his thesis of groupthink and relate it to his readings on Kennedy and his advisers. ... Groupthink is a form of thinking in which pressures for unanimity overpower the group members’ motivation to evaluate realistically all possible courses of action. ... In his explanation of groupthink, Janis describes three different types of group members: “dominant members” (265) who introduce and implement their ideas upon others; consensus followers who listen and concede to others ideas; and independent thinkers who question the ideas presented and possibly introduce ideas of their own. ... Schlesinger, Janis “suggested that the poor decision-making performance of those high officials might be akin to the lapses of judgment of ordinary citizens” (264) in groupthink situations. ... The ideas presented by Janis about the heavy smokers are basics that are generally observed in groupthink situations. After establishing these general ideas about groupthink, Janis shows how they apply to the Bay of Pigs, thus providing an explanation for the poor decisions made by the Kennedy administration. ... The idea of groupthink is centered around those individuals who concede with the group consensus for the purpose of being part of the group. ... However, these members “become more concerned with retaining the approval of the fellow members of their work group than with coming up with good solutions to the tasks at hand” (Janis, 264), falling victim to groupthink.