User:LauraC1360/sandbox

Hello! I am a student at Carnegie Mellon University working on the page Groupthink with my partner. We're proposing a restructuring of the page, starting with the introduction (see below). We're also hoping to improve sections 2-5. Any feedback on our work so far would be greatly appreciated!

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people when the desire for conformity overrides the ability of the group to make rational decisions. It negatively affects group decision making processes because group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus by suppressing dissenting viewpoints.

Most of the initial research on groupthink was conducted by Irving Janis, a research psychologist from Yale University. Janis published an influential book in 1972, which was revised in 1982. Later studies have evaluated and reformulated his groupthink model.

Overall, studies on the subject have largely focused on the factors that predict groupthink. Its occurrence is often measured by number of ideas/solutions generated within a group, but there is no uniform, concrete standard by which researchers can objectively diagnose groupthink. The studies of groupthink and groupthink antecedents reveal a mixed body of results. While some studies indicate group cohesion and leadership style to be powerfully predictive, other studies suggest the insignificance of these factors. Still, group homogeneity and group insulation are generally supported as factors predictive of groupthink.