Avoiding the Pitfalls of the Dunning-Kruger Effect and Groupthink (original) (raw)
Free related PDFsRelated papers
Free PDF
Groupthink 2.0: An empirical analysis of customers' conformity-seeking in online communities
Online communities have witnessed an ongoing interest from both digital practitioners and scholars alike. Whilst the motives for and outcomes of customers’ participation have been convincingly evidenced, there is a lack of conceptual and empirical understanding on the decision-making processes within virtual groups. This study employs Janis’ (1972) Groupthink theory to investigate customers’ tendency to conform when making decisions in a financial online community. Based on a sample of 343 respondents and multiple regression analysis, it is shown that perceived stress and group insulation have a positive influence upon groupthink, whilst group cohesion has a negative effect. The findings support the applicability of Groupthink theory in an online context and emphasise defective social decision-making processes in online communities as key priority for future research. Digital marketers gain insight on strategies to manage their customers’ conformity-seeking tendencies and to prevent dysfunctional decision-making processes.
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Perspectivas - Portuguese Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 2013
The concept of groupthink has dominated much of group research in Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). However, groupthink’s success and proliferation in academic and popular circles has led to some general misinterpretations of the concept itself. While Janis’ groupthink concept has received a wide amount of attention throughout the years, it has also been subject to various strands of criticism. In fact, groupthink’s broad popularity has not been based on the success of research findings. Also, groupthink challenges much of the research of social psychology undertaken in recent decades which reveals that particular group dynamics can actually contribute to more efficient decision-making. In this paper we seek to demystify the groupthink phenomenon and present an alternative assessment of group dynamics in foreign policy decision-making. We argue in favour of adopting a social cognition approach which can advance our understanding of how decision-making groups define the particular challenges that they face in the international political environment. More precisely, we present a conceptual framework based on social sharing mechanisms for comprehending how groups develop the problem representations that inform their foreign policy decisions. Ultimately, we seek to highlight the positive contributions of group dynamics in effective decision-making.
Free PDF
Cognitive Biases that Interfere with Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning: A Course Module
It is clear that people do not always behave in a rational manner. Sometimes they are presented with too much information or they may want to make a quick decision. This may cause them to rely on cognitive shortcuts known as heuristics (rules of thumb). These cognitive shortcuts often result in cognitive biases; at least 175 cognitive biases have been identified by researchers. This paper describes many of these biases starting with actor-observer bias and ending with zero-risk bias. It also describes how one can overcome them and thereby become a more rational decision maker.
Free PDF
