International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

"The deterioration of mental efficiency, quality of reality testing, and quality of moral judgment that results from in-group pressures" (J.N. WARFIELD and C. TEIGEN, 1993, p.4).

The authors comment: Subject to Groupthink, a group may seem to accept a specific decision; however, if individual group members are confronted with that point of view separately from the group, few members would accept that view as their own" (Ibid).

Groupthink results from role dissymetries among group members. "Specific behavioral patterns found in Groupthink involve such roles as "gatekeeper", "whip", etc., that distinguish one member from another. Certain individuals dominate the discussion. Individuals known to have views not compatible with whatever viewpoint is being favored may be silenced or excluded from the group" (J. WARFIELD, 1995a, p.65).

I.L. JANIS, as quoted by WARFIELD describes the eight symptoms of Groupthink:

"1. An illusion of invulnerability, shared by most or all of the members.

"2. Collective efforts to rationalize in order to discount warnings.

"3. An unquestioned belief in the group's inherent morality.

"4. Stereotyped views of rivals and enemies.

"5. Direct pressure on any member who expresses strong arguments against any of the group stereotypes, illusions, or commitments.

"6. Self-censorship of deviations.

"7. A shared illusion of unanimity… augmented by the false assumption that silence means consent.

"8. The emergence of self-appointed mindguards" (1994b, p.259).

A still more nocive variant of Groupthink is Clanthink, wherein everybody is subservient to generally unperceived mental constraints resulting from unexpressed – and sometimes hidden – cultural values and norms.