GROUP COMMUNICATION
Groupthink occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of
'mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgement'
Symptoms of groupthink
1. Illusion of invulnerability
o Over optimistic
o Overconfident in own qualities
2. Collective rationalization
o Discount warnings
o External pressure to reconsider
3. Belief in inherent morality
o We are here for the good cause in fulfilling the target
4. Stereotyped views of 'outgroups'
o Opposition
o 'Outgroup' group members
5. Direct pressure on dissenters
o From outside on group
o On insiders
6. Self-censorship
o Group members sensing 'consensus'
o Groups leaders ignoring counterarguments
7. Illusion of unanimity
o Shared illusion of unanimity conforming to the majority
8. Self-appointed 'mind guards'
o Self-appointed role by some group members that protect the group from adverse information
Nominal group technique (NGT)
Functional perspective on group decision making (Gouran & Hirokawa)
Functional perspective is a perspective approach:
It predicts task-group performance when four communication functions are fulfilled
Requisite functions: requirements for positive group outcome
o Problem analysis
Determining nature, extent, and cause(s) of problem facing the group
o Goal setting
Establishing criteria by which to judge proposed solutions (what are the minimal
qualities a solution should have?)
, o Identification of alternatives
Generation of more than one option to sufficiently solve the problem
o Evaluation of positive and negative characteristics
Testing the relative merits of each option against the criteria selected
Weighing the benefits and costs
The role of communication in fulfilling the functions
Hirokawa believes communication plays a very important role in coming to quality decisions/group productivity
Three types of communication
1. Promotive communication: interaction that moves the group along the goal path
2. Disruptive communication: interaction that diverts, hinders, or frustrates
3. Counteractive communication: interaction that gets the group back on track
Reflective thinking: thinking that favors rational consideration over intuitive hunches or pressure from those
with clout
Discourse ethics: Jürgen Habermas’ vision of the ideal speech situation in which diverse participants could
rationally reach a consensus on universal ethical standards
Critique
Valid only if new functions are added or scope is narrowed
In the functional perspective:
o All groups are treated as if they have no history, as if they are self-contained
Stohl and Holmes suggest using a bona-fide group approach:
, o Intact groups with stable, yet permeable boundaries and interdependent with their immediate
context; real-life groups
Gouran suggests functional perspective is less relevant in dealing with
o Questions of fact
o Questions of conjecture
o Questions of value
Symbolic convergence theory (Bormann)
He observed that group members often dramatized events happening outside the group, things that took place at
previous meetings, or what might occur in the future
Sharing group fantasies creates symbolic convergence
Dramatizing messages
Dramatizing message: imaginative language by group member describing past, future, or outside event;
creative interpretations of there-and-then
Fantasy: the creative and imaginative shared interpretation of events that fulfils a group's psychological
or rhetorical needs
Rhetorical community: a wide-ranging body of people who share a common symbolic reality
Fantasy chain reactions: unpredictable symbolic explosions
The success of a shared fantasy is difficult to predict only a few are enthusiastically embraced by the
whole group
But: 'Some dramatizing messages cause a symbolic explosion in the form of a chain reaction in which
members join in until the entire group comes alive'
Fantasy chain: a symbolic explosion of agreement within a group in response to a member's dramatizing
message
o Fantasy theme: content of the fantasy that chained out within a group
o Symbolic cue: an agreed-upon trigger that sets off group members to respond as they did when
they first shared the fantasy
Researchers have little success predicting when a fantasy will trigger a chain reaction
Symbolic convergence: two or more private symbol worlds Incline toward each other, come more closely
together, or even overlap; group consciousness, cohesiveness
Sharing group fantasies creates symbolic convergence
Usually results in heightened group consciousness and cohesiveness
Critique
Judging symbolic convergence theory both a scientific and interpretive theory
Symbolic convergence theory as a good objective theory
o Explains what occurs and why it happened
o Less good in predicting (or maybe even useless?)
Symbolic convergence theory as a good interpretive theory
o Clarifies people's values
o Offers new understanding of people
Groupthink occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of
'mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgement'
Symptoms of groupthink
1. Illusion of invulnerability
o Over optimistic
o Overconfident in own qualities
2. Collective rationalization
o Discount warnings
o External pressure to reconsider
3. Belief in inherent morality
o We are here for the good cause in fulfilling the target
4. Stereotyped views of 'outgroups'
o Opposition
o 'Outgroup' group members
5. Direct pressure on dissenters
o From outside on group
o On insiders
6. Self-censorship
o Group members sensing 'consensus'
o Groups leaders ignoring counterarguments
7. Illusion of unanimity
o Shared illusion of unanimity conforming to the majority
8. Self-appointed 'mind guards'
o Self-appointed role by some group members that protect the group from adverse information
Nominal group technique (NGT)
Functional perspective on group decision making (Gouran & Hirokawa)
Functional perspective is a perspective approach:
It predicts task-group performance when four communication functions are fulfilled
Requisite functions: requirements for positive group outcome
o Problem analysis
Determining nature, extent, and cause(s) of problem facing the group
o Goal setting
Establishing criteria by which to judge proposed solutions (what are the minimal
qualities a solution should have?)
, o Identification of alternatives
Generation of more than one option to sufficiently solve the problem
o Evaluation of positive and negative characteristics
Testing the relative merits of each option against the criteria selected
Weighing the benefits and costs
The role of communication in fulfilling the functions
Hirokawa believes communication plays a very important role in coming to quality decisions/group productivity
Three types of communication
1. Promotive communication: interaction that moves the group along the goal path
2. Disruptive communication: interaction that diverts, hinders, or frustrates
3. Counteractive communication: interaction that gets the group back on track
Reflective thinking: thinking that favors rational consideration over intuitive hunches or pressure from those
with clout
Discourse ethics: Jürgen Habermas’ vision of the ideal speech situation in which diverse participants could
rationally reach a consensus on universal ethical standards
Critique
Valid only if new functions are added or scope is narrowed
In the functional perspective:
o All groups are treated as if they have no history, as if they are self-contained
Stohl and Holmes suggest using a bona-fide group approach:
, o Intact groups with stable, yet permeable boundaries and interdependent with their immediate
context; real-life groups
Gouran suggests functional perspective is less relevant in dealing with
o Questions of fact
o Questions of conjecture
o Questions of value
Symbolic convergence theory (Bormann)
He observed that group members often dramatized events happening outside the group, things that took place at
previous meetings, or what might occur in the future
Sharing group fantasies creates symbolic convergence
Dramatizing messages
Dramatizing message: imaginative language by group member describing past, future, or outside event;
creative interpretations of there-and-then
Fantasy: the creative and imaginative shared interpretation of events that fulfils a group's psychological
or rhetorical needs
Rhetorical community: a wide-ranging body of people who share a common symbolic reality
Fantasy chain reactions: unpredictable symbolic explosions
The success of a shared fantasy is difficult to predict only a few are enthusiastically embraced by the
whole group
But: 'Some dramatizing messages cause a symbolic explosion in the form of a chain reaction in which
members join in until the entire group comes alive'
Fantasy chain: a symbolic explosion of agreement within a group in response to a member's dramatizing
message
o Fantasy theme: content of the fantasy that chained out within a group
o Symbolic cue: an agreed-upon trigger that sets off group members to respond as they did when
they first shared the fantasy
Researchers have little success predicting when a fantasy will trigger a chain reaction
Symbolic convergence: two or more private symbol worlds Incline toward each other, come more closely
together, or even overlap; group consciousness, cohesiveness
Sharing group fantasies creates symbolic convergence
Usually results in heightened group consciousness and cohesiveness
Critique
Judging symbolic convergence theory both a scientific and interpretive theory
Symbolic convergence theory as a good objective theory
o Explains what occurs and why it happened
o Less good in predicting (or maybe even useless?)
Symbolic convergence theory as a good interpretive theory
o Clarifies people's values
o Offers new understanding of people
