Are Group Decisions Always Smarter?



I think many people believe that when you have more people making a decision, it will be a better decision. This is because a group of people can bring together ideas and experiences. In theory this sounds good. In reality it doesn't always work out that way.


~The Promise of Collective Thinking



Group decisions can be better when:

* people share their thoughts and ideas

* people think carefully about their decisions

* people talk openly about what they think

When these things don't happen, something else takes over.


~The Problem: Groupthink



There's something called Groupthink that psychologists talk about. This is when people want to agree with each other so much that they don't think about what's real. Rather than talking about ideas, people start:

* agreeing with each other too quickly

* not saying what they really think

* avoiding arguments


~Why Groupthink Happens



1. Fear of Standing Out

People may be afraid to say what they think because they don't want to

* be rejected by the group

* feel embarrassed

* be seen as difficult

2. Pressure to Conform

Even if nobody tells them what to do, people often do what the majority is doing. This is like what happened in the Asch Conformity Experiment, where people chose answers just to fit in.

3. Illusion of Agreement

When nobody says anything, it seems like everyone agrees. That's not always true.

4. Overconfidence in the Group

Group decisions can make people feel too sure of themselves. They think that because many people agree the decision must be right.



~When Groups Fail



We've seen that groupthink can lead to the following:

* decisions

* missing warning signs

* making poor choices

Sometimes a group doesn't make things better. It makes the things people don't know about worse.



~What Makes Group Decisions 



Group decisions are better when they:

* let people disagree and ask questions

* listen to different people's thoughts.

* let people discuss what they don't agree on

* care about whats true rather than agreeing with each other

In other words, what makes a group good is not that everyone agrees but that people can say what they really think.



~Conclusion


Group decisions are not always better. If people don't think carefully and talk openly, they can be bad. Even dangerous. The important thing to remember is that. A group is only as good as its willingness to ask itself questions about group decisions.


For more content stay connected with Psychology: Myth vs Reality by 

Tanya Kakkar

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