Groupthink and groupshift, can affect a group’s ability to appraise alternatives objectively. Groupthink relates to norms and describes situations in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views. Groupshift describes the way group members tend to exaggerate their initial positions when discussing a given set of alternatives to arrive at a solution.

Individuals who hold a position different from that of the dominant majority are under pressure to suppress, withhold, or modify their true feelings and beliefs, even if disruption would improve effectiveness. Groups that are more focused on performance than learning are especially likely to fall victim to groupthink and to suppress the opinions of those who do not agree with the majority. There are differences between group decisions and the individual decisions of group members. In groups, discussion leads members toward a more extreme view of the position they already held.

Conservatives become more cautious, and more aggressive types take on more risk. We can view this group polarization as a special case of groupthink. The group’s decision reflects the dominant decision-making norm that develops during discussion.