Sandy, Gale, and Marylou are on the board of directors for a local non-profit organization. At a recent meeting, guest David delivered a rousing speech on how group leadership is often too complex and that non-profits could often be better served by a CEO and no board of directors. Sandy emphatically disagreed with David stating that not having the board could open the organization up to massive levels of corruption. Gale agreed with David and feels that maybe the organization might do better if only one of the ladies were in charge, namely herself. Marylou chose not to comment on the matter, thus leading Sandy to assume that she agreed with her. It could be said that Sandy is suffering from ________.
A) groupthink
B) groupshift
C) group polarization
D) both A and B
E) A, B, and C

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sandy is suffering from both groupthink and groupshift. Groupthink is a phenomenon in which people in a group strive for consensus at the expense of critical thinking and independent judgment. Groupshift is a phenomenon in which people in a group become more extreme in their views after discussing an issue. In this case, Sandy is suffering from groupthink because she is assuming that Marylou agrees with her without actually asking her. She is also suffering from groupshift because she is becoming more extreme in her views after discussing the issue with Gale.

Sandy, Gale, and Marylou Are on the Board of Directors