Psych Power Point

Recall from this weeks discussion that groupthink occurs when group members reason that they cannot be wrong and reject any argument contrary to their ownrejecting criticism from internal members and criticism from people in out-groups (Janis and Mann, 1977).

Furthermore, Janis and Mann identified the following 8 symptoms of groupthink:

• An illusion of invulnerability
• Collective efforts to rationalize
• Unquestioned belief in the group’s inherent morality
• Stereotyped views of rivals and enemies
• Direct pressure on a member who expresses arguments against any of the group’s stereotypes, illusions, or commitments
• Self-censorship of deviations from apparent group consensus
• A shared illusion of unanimity
• The emergence of self-appointed “mind guards” (p. 131)

Assessment Preparation

Select 1 of the following real-world occurrences of groupthink or identify a factual event of your own to use for this assessment:

• Bay of Pigs
• Pearl Harbor bombing
• Space Shuttle Challenger explosion
• Salem witch trials
• Switch to New Coke

Assessment Deliverable

Create a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation with detailed speaker notes about your chosen event. In your presentation:

• Identify and describe your selected event. Include the date(s) involved, geographic location, and major players in the decision.
• Explain how groupthink worked in your selected event. Relate your explanation to the symptoms of groupthink.
• Discuss the impact of groupthink on the outcome of the event.
• Discuss the role of authority influence in the event.
• Explain 2 actions that may have countered the groupthink and authority influence that led to the outcome of the event.

Cite at least 3 sources to support your presentation.

Format your citations and references according to APA guidelines.