A Partial Test of Janis' Groupthink Model: Effects of Group Cohesiveness and Leader Behavior on Defective Decision Making

Abstract

The effects of group cohesiveness and leader behavior on Janis' (1982) symptoms of defective decision making were investigated within a laboratory setting. Two-hundred-eight college students were divided into four-person groups to solve a hypothetical business problem during tape-recorded group discussion sessions. Results showed that members of noncohesive groups engaged in more self-censorship of information than did members of cohesive groups. Teams with directive leaders proposed and discussed fewer alternative solutions to the problem than did groups with leaders who encouraged member participation. Groups with directive leaders were also willing to comply with the leaders' proposed solutions when the leaders stated their preferences early in the group discussion. These results only partially support Janis' groupthink model.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Courtwright, J.A. (1978). A laboratory investigation of groupthink. Communications Monographs, 45, 229-246.

Flowers, M.L. (1977). A laboratory test of some implications of Janis's groupthink hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1, 288-299.

Janis, I.L. (1972). Victims of groupthink: A psychological study of policy decisions and fiascos. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Janis, I.L. (1982). Groupthink (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Janis, I.L. , & Mann, L. (1977). Decision making: A psychological analysis of conflict, choice and commitment. New York: Macmillan.

Longley, J. , & Pruitt, D.G. (1980). Groupthink: A critique of Janis' theory. In L. Wheeler (Ed.), Review of personality and social psychology (pp. 74-93). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.