Examining the Symptoms of Groupthink and Retrospective Sensemaking

The symptoms of groupthink traditionally have been treated as part of a single process associated with poor decision making in groups. The present study explores the symptoms of groupthink as reflecting two distinct processes that vary depending on the confidence individuals have in the decision favored by the group. It is further argued that past research using qualitative approaches may produce an illusory correlation among the groupthink symptoms because of retrospective sensemaking occurring when individuals have evidence they have made a poor decision. An experiment, providing support for each of these contentions, is performed.

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