Key Difference – Group Polarization vs Groupthink
Group polarization and groupthink are two terms in social psychology that have some differences between them. Group polarization refers to a situation where the attitudes or decisions of people in the group come out much stronger than in actuality. On the other hand, Groupthink refers to a condition in which members of a group arrive at conclusions based on the pressure from the group as they put their opinions and beliefs aside. The primary difference between the two is that, in group polarization, the emphasis is on enhancing an opinion within a group, but, in groupthink, the emphasis is on group unanimity.
What is Group Polarization?
Group polarization refers to a situation where the attitudes or decisions of people in the group come out much stronger than in actuality. Generally, when people with different opinions on a topic come together, we expect that discussing these differences is a suitable method of changing individual opinions through the presentation of facts and varied information. However, according to social scientists, this is not what happens in such situations. On the contrary, people tend to hold onto their opinion or belief in an even stronger manner, which makes their stance much more extreme than in reality.
This can be understood through a simple example. For a discussion, people who support abortion and those who are against abortion are put together. It has to be highlighted that all individuals have a moderate opinion at the beginning of the discussion. However, at the end of the discussion, it is clear that both parties take an extreme stance on the topic that was not there at the initial stage. Social psychologists highlight that group polarization is a direct result of conformity. Since human beings are social creatures, the allure of being accepted and belonging to a group is very strong, which can result in group polarization.
What is Groupthink?
Groupthink refers to a condition in which members of a group arrive at conclusions based on the pressure from the group as they put their opinions and beliefs aside. This can even involve keeping quiet and not voicing one’s personal opinion so that one does not have to oppose the group. This term was coined by the social psychologist Irving Janis in 1972. According to Janis, there are mainly eight symptoms of groupthink: illusions of invulnerability (excessive optimism of members), unquestioned beliefs (ignoring moral problems and group and individual acts), rationalization (stops the member from reconsidering their opinion), stereotyping (ignoring the out-group members who have the potential to challenge the ideas of the group), self-censorship (hiding fears), mindguards (hiding information that has issues), Illusion of unanimity (creates a belief that everyone agrees), and direct pressure.
You may also have experienced this at some point in life. For instance, let us consider a group project that you had to do in school. There may have been situations where you did not voice your opinion although you realized that the plan was not very good. This is mainly because you did not want to upset anyone in the group or else to disrupt the harmony of the group.
Key Takeaways
- In group polarization, the emphasis is on enhancing an opinion within a group, but, in groupthink, the emphasis is on group unanimity.
- In group polarization, people in the group end up having extreme views or opinions, whereas in groupthink, people go along with the group idea and discard their personal opinion.
- Group polarization is a direct result of conformity, while groupthink results from the pressure of the group.
