The need to conform is stronger than the need to make good decisions.
Research from psychology shows that 75% of people will conform with a group view, against their better judgement. In other words, the need to conform is more overwhelming that the need to speak up for what is right, and this is true even in groups as small as three members.
Akrasia is when a person acts contrary to their better judgement. It’s not a new problem: way back about 2,300 years ago, Socrates asked how it is possible that, if one judges Action A to be the best course of action, one would do anything other than A? Yet we see it everyday: people smoke, drink too much, drive too fast… they act contrary to what they themselves would judge to be the best course of action. Aristotle suggested that akrasia occurs because of opinion: that opinion is formulated mentally in a way that is not necessarily a good imitation of truth, therefore acting on the basis of opinion can lead to irrational acts.
More recently, Thomas Szanto from the University of Copenhagen argues convincingly that akrasia occurs because of emotions. Emotions influence or motivate actions, even when those actions go against our knowledge or belief about what is best. We tend to act towards pleasant emotions, and away from unpleasant emotions, even if that action is irrational. Emotions can cloud or bias the cognitive processes (information-gathering etc) upon which our practical deliberation is based.
This effect is amplified in groups, in what Santzo calls “Collaborative Irrationality” whereby a “spiralling of practical irrationality” plays out. I have attempted to summarise his research in the image below.
Collaborative irrationality results partly from the biases and emotional response control of individuals in the group. Typically, when influential group members have poor emotional response control (e.g. they anger easily, or have other unchecked/unwarranted emotional responses), collaborative irrationality intensifies.
Groupthink is a form of collective irrationality. When faced with uncertainty about what to do, we look to others to help determine what is appropriate. In ambiguous situations, we tend to behave in ways that are consistent with those around us, even if that means acting against our better judgement. Research from psychology shows that 75% of people will conform with a group view, against their better judgement. In other words, the need to conform is more overwhelming that the need to speak up for what is right, and this is true even in groups as small as three members.
My next article will focus on the different types of groupthink, how to recognise it, and strategies to avoid it in your own groups.
