groupthink

Meaning: Groupthink, described by Irving Janis, occurs when members of a close-knit group put agreement ahead of critical thinking. People self-censor, assume everyone else agrees, and pressure dissenters to conform. The group feels confident and morally right, so it ignores risks and outside information. Conditions that favor it include high cohesion, isolation from outside opinion, a strong directive leader, and high stress or time pressure.

On the MCAT: A passage describes a committee, team or council that reaches a quick, unanimous decision. Dissenters stay quiet, the leader states a preference early, and the plan later fails. You identify the process as groupthink. Questions may also ask which change would reduce it. Good answers include assigning a devil's advocate, inviting outside experts, collecting anonymous opinions, or having the leader hold back their view until others have spoken. These all bring in dissent.

Common confusion: Groupthink is often mixed up with group polarization. Polarization is the strengthening of the group's average initial leaning after discussion, which makes the group's position more extreme. Groupthink is about suppressing disagreement to keep harmony, and it does not require a shift toward an extreme. Groupthink is also not the same as individual conformity. It describes a decision-making pattern of the whole group, with conformity pressure as one of its ingredients.