Define groupthink. Relate how groupthink might have contributed to the 2003 shuttle disaster. Suggest how groupthink and entrapment might have contributed to the decision to send American troops to Iraq in 2003 and to the decision to remain in Iraq.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The answer should contain the following elements:

Groupthink refers to a type of thinking in which group members share such a strong motivation to achieve consensus that they lose the ability to critically evaluate alternative points of view.

2003 shuttle disaster-Some engineers believed that falling foam might pose problems for the space shuttle Columbia when it was time for it to land. Despite the beliefs of these engineers, there was so much pressure for a timely launch that a consensus began to form that the foam posed no danger. Such groupthink proved fatal.

Iraq-Groupthink is most likely to occur when a popular or powerful leader is surrounded by people of lower status, as is the case in the U.S. administration. The decision to enter Iraq despite the lack of evidence for weapons of mass destruction represented a consensus forming around the president's opinion, despite contradictory evidence. Entrapment refers to a situation in which commitments to a failing point of view or course of action are increased to justify the investments in time and energy that have already been made. As the campaign in Iraq faltered, troop levels were maintained and even increased, and more resources were devoted to the war.