This article explains the psychological phenomenon of groupthink, which explains why people follow the majority choice when they are unsure, and analyzes the various ways in which groupthink affects individual judgment and behavior. It covers examples of how the phenomenon works both positively and negatively, and how its influence is growing in modern society.
As the saying goes, “follow your friends to Gangnam,” and the behavior of others is known in psychology as “synchrony. When you’re unsure of the answer to an OX quiz, following the popular choice is also a form of herding.
Psychology has two main explanations for why herding occurs. The first is that people believe that if they follow what others do about something they’re not sure about, at least they won’t lose out. When traveling and eating in an unfamiliar area, travelers will often seek out restaurants that are packed with customers because they assume that if a restaurant is busy, it means the food is good. Second, when a group has a force, such as order or norms, that guides its members, the pressure of that group creates conformity. If an individual does not recognize that power, he is likely to be ostracized from the group. This situation causes people to conform in order to avoid being ostracized from the group. It’s important to note that people will also take a stand on issues they don’t believe in or don’t think are right.
In some cases, both of these reasons work together. For example, when people are trying to decide which candidate to support in an election, they will often choose the candidate who is actively campaigning on the streets and attracting the most supporters. The enthusiasm of those supporters acts as information that leads others to support that candidate. In this case, the larger the group of supporters, the more effective it is in generating support. In addition, recent developments in social media have made it possible for the phenomenon to spread faster and wider. For example, when a large number of people share the same opinion on a topic or support a certain behavior, the information spreads rapidly through social media and affects more people. This is one of the reasons why sympathy has become stronger and more widespread in modern society.
The intensity of the effect depends on the factors that influence the psychology of the individual. The less information you have, the more difficult it is to make a judgment, and the less confident you are in your own judgment, the stronger the effect. It is also stronger when the number of members in a group is large and its cohesion is strong, and when the authority and credibility of the person providing the information is high. The unanimity of the group on an issue also has a strong influence on the effect, and if there is a single deviant, the effect is dramatically weakened.
The phenomenon of group cohesion can be negative, such as when a person tries to cross the street and sees people jaywalking, but it can also be positive, such as when people line up at a stop and wait for the bus. It can also help individuals make better judgments and choices in the absence of information, and it can be a driving force in society to maintain order. It also provides a good rationale for understanding behavioral traits and social phenomena, such as people visiting crowded stores, enjoying the same jokes, and preferring fashionable clothes. Understanding and analyzing this phenomenon can provide deep insights into how we behave and make decisions in society. It is not just a result of collective behavior, but an important concept that illustrates the complex psychological processes that occur in the interaction between individuals and society.
