Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and FiascoesGroupthink - the psychological drive for consensus at any cost that suppresses disagreement and prevents the appraisal of alternatives in cohesive decision-making groups. In the first edition (Victims of groupthink), Iriving L. Janis showed how this phenomenon contributed to some of the major U.S. foreign policy fiascos of recent decades: the Korean War stalemate, the escalation of the Vietnam War, the failure to be prepared for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Bay of Pigs blunder. He also examined cases, such as the handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the formulation of the Marshall Plan, where groupthink was avoided. Here, in this revised and expanded edition, Janis applies his hypothesis to the Watergate cover-up, portraying in detail how groupthink helped to put the participants on a disastrous couurse and keep them there. In addition, he presents some fresh ideas on how and why groupthink occurs and offers suggestions for avoiding it. |
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Page 170
How did Kennan ' s policy - planning group avoid succumbing to the strong
concurrence - seeking tendency that gives rise ... group members to give the
highest priority to preserving group unity by avoiding harsh criticisms of the CIA '
s plans .
How did Kennan ' s policy - planning group avoid succumbing to the strong
concurrence - seeking tendency that gives rise ... group members to give the
highest priority to preserving group unity by avoiding harsh criticisms of the CIA '
s plans .
Page 262
The leader of a policy - forming group should assign the role of critical evaluator
to each member , encouraging the group to give high priority to airing objections
and doubts . This practice needs to be reinforced by the leader ' s acceptance of ...
The leader of a policy - forming group should assign the role of critical evaluator
to each member , encouraging the group to give high priority to airing objections
and doubts . This practice needs to be reinforced by the leader ' s acceptance of ...
Page 292
2 In his account of how the Marshall Plan was evolved , Dean Acheson gives
relatively little credit to Kennan or his group ... Clayton ' s major contribution ,
according to Jones , was to give a vivid account of the economic chaos in Europe
...
2 In his account of how the Marshall Plan was evolved , Dean Acheson gives
relatively little credit to Kennan or his group ... Clayton ' s major contribution ,
according to Jones , was to give a vivid account of the economic chaos in Europe
...
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Contents
Why So Many Miscalculations? | 2 |
The Wrong | 48 |
Or Why the Fortress Slept | 72 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
accepted according action administration Admiral advisers alternative American appears asked assumptions attack avoid Bay of Pigs become called Chiefs cohesive Committee concerning consensus consequences continued course cover-up crisis critical Cuba Cuban danger Dean decision decision-making Defense deliberations Department direct discussion effect errors evidence example Executive expected fact factors feel fiasco forces give going groupthink Haldeman invasion involved issues Japanese Johnson judgment Kennedy leader leading major March meetings military missile moral Nixon norms North objections officers operation participants Pearl Harbor policy-making political position possible present President pressures probably problem procedures proposed questions responsible result risks role says Secretary seems Senator shared social sources Soviet staff stress strong suggested thinking threat tion transcripts Truman United Vietnam warning Watergate White House
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes |
| Author | Irving Lester Janis |
| Edition | 2, illustrated, revised |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin, 1982 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 11 Aug 2007 |
| ISBN | 0395317045, 9780395317044 |
| Length | 349 pages |
| Subjects | › Psychology / Social Psychology |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |