Group Decision making

• Brainstorming- group members encouraged to produce as many ideas as possible in uninhibited way
• Cons
• Group < Individual Decision in Brainstorming due to Production blocking
• Production blocking - failure to express ideas due to norm that only 1 talks at a time
• forget own idea when listening
• don't listen to others and blurt own idea that's unheard
• Pros
• People like it
• Creates Cohesion
• Group Polarization - group induced exaggeration of preexisting tendency  
• Group Discussion shifts Group's Normal view-------------> Extreme View 
• Strongest : Important decision
• All agree on preexisting tendency
• How Group Polarization Works
• Social Comparison- want to feel/look good when comparing selves to others
• characterize own view in the extreme = self looks good
• form of Normative influence 
• Mutual Persuasion
• different ways of thinking make view look better
• Groupthink
• Groupthink- group members share such strong motivations to come to a consensus that they lose the ability to think independently 
• Conditions that lead to Groupthink
• Highly Cohesive = group
• Isolated from Contrary opinions
• Ruled by Dominant Leader who is not open to disagreement
• Symptoms of Groupthink
• Invulnerable thinking
• moral high ground, can do no wrong
• Close-mindedness and Collective Rationalization
• Group = Only Feasible position
• Increased Pressure towards Unanimity 
• Self-censorship
• Active discouragement of dissenting statements
• Social Facilitation- Others Present = perform Simple tasks Better
• Difficult tasks = Worse when others present
• example: push-ups
• Social Loafing- Efforts Pooled = Less Effort
• Solution : Individuate people (cameras, coaches, recognition, etc.)
• Deindividuation- Loosening of Constraints = in Group or under Anonymity 
• Example: Mardi Gras ; Celebrate Victory
• Conditions Promoting Deindividuation 
• Anonymity
•  enabler to do things wouldn't do otherwise
• Attention Away from Self
• group situations enable crazy stuff because puts attention away from self
• Johnson and Downing (1979)
• Told task recommend increase or decrease in shock level for confederate
• Two Clothing conditions what Subject wore:
• KKK robe
• Nurse outfit
• Deindividuation conditions:
• Deindividuation = Hood over Face in both clothing conditions
• Control
• Results:
• KKK condition no hood = +.75
• KKK condition hood = +.97
• Nurse condition no hood = -.30
• Nurse condition hood = - 1.6
• Gergen (1973)
• 4 male and 4 female subjects in room for 1 hour
• No rules in room; Won't see others after experiment
• 2 Conditions:
• Control (Lights on)
• Individuation (Lights off)
• Results:
• Touching others: 
• Control = 0%
• Deindividuation = 90%
• Hugging/Kissing :
• Control = 0%
• Deindividuation = 50%