Author Question: Eight characteristics of groupthink have been identified by Janis (1972). Which of the following is ... (Read 114 times)

hbsimmons88 · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

Eight characteristics of groupthink have been identified by Janis (1972). Which of the following is not a characteristic of groupthink?

a. collective rationalism
b. belief in the inherent morality of the team
c. self-censorship
d. illusion of vulnerability

Question 2

Which is one of the phases of the Team STEPPS system for safety improvement within health care organizations?

a. storming phase
b. external trainers and internal healthcare staff
c. pretraining assessment to determine the readiness of the site to participate
d. uses an encourager to keep the momentum going

asware1 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
Groupthink occurs when there is a tendency to have the same opinion as the other members of the group as a way to avoid conflict, reduce interpersonal pressure, or maintain an illusion of unity and cohesion (Wineclaw, 2012, p. 5). Janis (1972) noted eight specific characteristics that contribute to groupthink behavior. These characteristics are: 1) collective rationalism (tendency to overlook conflicting information), 2) stereotyping of others (biased, highly negative views of competing teams or those who are not members), 3) belief in the inherent morality of the team (a sense of righteousness about their role), 4) pressures to conform (severe pressure to conform to the norms and team decisions), 5) the use of mindguards (used by team members who withhold conflicting/disharmonious information that is in direct opposition to the team's views and thoughts), 6) self-censorship (pressure on members to remain silent about possible misgivings and minimize self-doubts about a decision), 7) illusion of unanimity, and

the illusion of invulnerability (belief that team members are impervious and invinciblenot vulnerable).

Answer to Question 2

C
Team STEPPs is an evidenced-based teamwork system that emphasizes process and performance improvement for safety concerns within healthcare organizations. It consists of three phases 1) pretraining assessment to determine readiness of site to participate, 2) using internal onsite trainers and healthcare staff (not external trainers and internal healthcare staff), and 3) having an implementation and sustainable plan. The storming phase is part of the five-stage group process as defined by Tuckman and Jensen (1977). The encourager is a team member considered to be a group maintenance role and may be seen in teams, but is not a specific to the Team STEPPS process or one of its phases.