Tribalism and Groupthink: Unite for the Right Reasons | Psych Bytes Podcast
Channel: Psych Bytes
Date: 2019-08-05

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In this episode of the Psych Bytes podcast, Craig Pohlman, Ph.D., and Jennifer Fights, LPC, are discussing tribalism and groupthink.

They explain how and why we divide ourselves along political and cultural fault lines.

Tribalism can be a real problem. So, how can we recognize our own tribalism and put an end to this phenomenon? Here are our 8 tips to put an end to tribalism:

1. Ask yourself what makes you an individual.
2. Embrace a level of skepticism.
3. Expose yourself to contradictory ideas.
4. Practice theory of mind.
5. Acknowledge diversity within groups.
6. Tackle groupthink head-on.
7. Get proximate.
8. Focus on what is shared.

For our tribalism breakaway segments, Dave Verhaagen, Ph.D., talks about groupthink. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon when a group of people start thinking with one mind.

Yale psychologist, Irving Janis, first coined the term in 1972 to describe the systematic errors groups make with their decisions. These groups share the same beliefs, consider the same facts, fail to consider other facts, and come to the same conclusions.

Groupthink sounds like a good thing until you realize the group then loses the ability to objectively evaluate alternatives and options. As a result, the group tends to make irrational decisions and take irrational actions.

These groups almost always overestimate how solid their positions are and feel like they are making the necessary and morally correct choices.

Janis found three conditions that produce groupthink: high group cohesiveness, structural faults, and situational context.

High group cohesiveness is when people are more concerned about the harmony of the group than rocking the boat. This is the MOST important.

Structural faults are when the group tends to be more isolated from other groups or has strong, but biased leadership.

Situational context refers to factors such as high stress, time pressures, or a history of recent failures.

We see groupthink and tribalism EVERYWHERE! It can be found in politics, religion, business, professional organizations, and in social clubs and groups. Start to monitor and analyze your surroundings and don’t fall prey to groupthink. It is NEVER a good thing!

HASHTAGS:
#Groupthink #Tribalism #Conformity