Saint Marys University ISocial Psychology Group Thinking Discussion

Brief Written Assignment

Part A: Group memberships are at the heart of social life. They contribute to self-concept, social identity, and well being, and they shape social perception and behaviour. The textbook defines a group as “a collection of three or more people who interact with one another and are interdependent in the sense that their need and goals cause them to rely on one another” (Aronson et al., 2017, p. 214). Right now, what is an important group membership for you?

Part B: According to Politico, “the U.K.’s former health secretary claimed the country’s slow response to [the] coronavirus is partly [attributable] to ‘groupthink’ among top scientists and civil servants” that led to a mismanagement of the crisis (https://www.politico.eu/article/jeremy-hunt-former-uk-health-secretary-groupthink-slowed-coronavirus-response/). Similar problems with leadership and poor group decision-making seem to have contributed to an ineffective response to the pandemic in the United States.

Your assignment for this week is to:

1. Define “groupthink”; and
2. Briefly (e.g., in a few sentences) explain how these group processes (e.g., the “symptoms” of groupthink; see Figure 8.5) might apply to government responses to the coronavirus pandemic.