Victims of Groupthink

Abstract

An important theory in the study of small group decision making is groupthink, developed by Irving Janis. Groupthink refers to a process by which a small group of decision makers subjected to intense stress may become more concerned with achieving concurrence among their members than in arriving at carefully considered decisions. In this study, Janis's theory is applied to the 1977 gymnasium controversy at Kent State University where trustees decided to build an addition to the school's gymnasium on part of the area where students and Ohio National Guard members confronted each other just before the tragic shootings of May 4, 1970. Despite opposition from the student body and faculty, large-scale protest activities, massive arrests, and numerous third party efforts to resolve the conflict, the trustees not only refused to alter their decision but also refused even to reconsider their decision. A detailed analysis of Janis's theory reveals that each major condition of the theory was present in the conflict and that the trustees were indeed victims of groupthink.