Extreme cohesiveness can sometimes lead to disastrous decisions and interfere with effective leadership. This consequence of extreme cohesiveness is identified as :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Group Think
Option (1) Group Polarisation — Incorrect. Group polarisation is the strengthening of the group’s initial position as a result of group interaction and discussion, so that groups take more extreme decisions than individuals. It arises from discussion among like-minded people, not from extreme cohesiveness as such.
Option (2) Obedience — Incorrect. Obedience is carrying out the order of a person in authority. It is a form of social influence on one person, not a consequence of a group being too close-knit.
Option (3) Group Think — Correct. Cohesiveness is the team spirit or ‘we feeling’ of a group. Extreme cohesiveness, however, may not be in a group’s interest: psychologists have identified the phenomenon of groupthink as its consequence. Members of a very cohesive group suppress their doubts to keep an appearance of agreement, ignore cues from outside and make disastrous decisions.
Option (4) Conformity — Incorrect. Conformity is behaving according to the group norm. Groupthink includes a strong pressure to conform, but conformity is a general form of social influence found in every group, not the named consequence of extreme cohesiveness.
Note 1: The concept in Option (2), ‘obedience’, was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, and is not there in the NCERT book (2025-26).
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 08-06-2023 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Groupthink … Cohesiveness refers to the team spirit or ‘we feeling’ or a sense of belongingness to the group. It is difficult to leave a cohesive group or to gain membership of a group which is highly cohesive. Extreme cohesiveness however, may sometimes not be in a group’s interest. Psychologists have identified the phenomenon of groupthink (see Box 7.1) which is a consequence of extreme cohesiveness.…”
|
