According to Irving Janis, the process in which group allows its concerns for unanimity and overrides the motivation to realistically appraise course of actions, leading to decisions that may be irrational and uncritical, is known as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Groupthink
Option (1) Group formation — Incorrect. Group formation is how a group comes into being and develops, through contact and interaction and stages such as forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. It says nothing about poor decisions.
Option (2) Groupthink — Correct. Irving Janis found that cohesion can interfere with effective leadership. In groupthink, a group’s concern for unanimity overrides the motivation to realistically appraise courses of action, so the members make irrational and uncritical decisions. It shows as an appearance of consensus: no one dissents for fear of breaking the group’s cohesion.
Option (3) Group bonding — Incorrect. There is no such term. Bonding among members is part of cohesiveness, but it names no process of faulty decision-making.
Option (4) Groupism — Incorrect. There is no such term. The word sounds close to groupthink, but Janis’s process is groupthink.
NCERT: Psychology — Chapter 7: Social Influence and Group Processes, Box 7.1 (2025-26)
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