groupthink

Definition of Groupthink

(noun) In a group, the tendency for individuals to uncritically agree to any decisions due to conformity.

Groupthink Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: group·think

Audio Pronunciation

Usage Notes

• Variant spellings:
  • group-think
  • group think
• Also called:
  • group think theory
  • herding (more commonly used in economics)

Related Quotation

• “Bureaucracies generally reward compliance, not defiance. In bureaucratic settings, one does not typically advance by being the defiant, rugged, and fiercely independent individualist of American folklore, but by going along to get along, being a team player, following the rules and procedures, and slowly climbing the bureaucratic ladder one step at a time” (McNamee and Miller 2013:171–72).

Related Video

Additional Information

• Word origin of “groupthink” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
• Haslam, S. Alexander, Daan van Knippenberg, Michael Platow, and Naomi Ellemers, eds. 2003. Social Identity at Work: Developing Theory for Organizational Practice. New York: Psychology Press.

Related Terms

• behavior
• conformity
• norm
• organization
• role

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Reference

McNamee, Stephen J., and Robert K. Miller, Jr. 2013. The Meritocracy Myth. 3rd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Works Consulted

Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Branscombe, Nyla R., and Robert A. Baron. 2017. Social Psychology. 14th ed. Harlow, England: Pearson.

Brinkerhoff, David, Lynn White, Suzanne Ortega, and Rose Weitz. 2011. Essentials of Sociology. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Brym, Robert J., and John Lie. 2007. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferrante, Joan. 2011. Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. 2010. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. New York: Norton.

Henslin, James M. 2012. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 10th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Shepard, Jon M. 2010. Sociology. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Shepard, Jon M., and Robert W. Greene. 2003. Sociology and You. New York: Glencoe.

Stolley, Kathy S. 2005. The Basics of Sociology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Cite the Definition of Groupthink

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “groupthink.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved September 14, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/groupthink/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

groupthink. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/groupthink/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “groupthink.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed September 14, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/groupthink/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“groupthink.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 14 Sep. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/groupthink/>.