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 273
The objective evaluations made by a team of administrators and behavioral
scientists could weed out ineffective and harmful procedures and provide solid
evidence to keep the good ones going . By accumulating systematic evidence ,
they ...
The objective evaluations made by a team of administrators and behavioral
scientists could weed out ineffective and harmful procedures and provide solid
evidence to keep the good ones going . By accumulating systematic evidence ,
they ...
Page 303
These comparative studies using blind rating procedures with fairly large
samples should provide us with dependable evidence on situational and
structural factors that make a difference . This type of research ought to enable
investigators not ...
These comparative studies using blind rating procedures with fairly large
samples should provide us with dependable evidence on situational and
structural factors that make a difference . This type of research ought to enable
investigators not ...
Page 309
7 Wheeler and Janis ( 1980 ) raise the following question : In the absence of
standard operating procedures to promote critical assessment of the pros and
cons of each viable alternative , what could an individual member do if he or she
...
7 Wheeler and Janis ( 1980 ) raise the following question : In the absence of
standard operating procedures to promote critical assessment of the pros and
cons of each viable alternative , what could an individual member do if he or she
...
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Contents
The Wrong | 3 |
The Making of the Marshall Plan | 159 |
How Clever | 198 |
Copyright | |
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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 Soviet staff stress strong suggested thinking threat tion transcripts Truman United UNIVERSITY Vietnam warning Watergate White House