Chapter 3 Flashcards
What is brainstorming?
A process in which group members generate as many ideas about a problem as they can; criticism is withheld until all ideas have been proposed.
Brainstorming encourages creativity and idea generation without immediate judgment.
What are the two levels of conflict in decision making?
- Several options are attractive or none are attractive (individual conflict)
- Conflict arises between people.
These conflicts can impact the decision-making process.
Define conflict in decision making.
Opposing pressures from different sources, occurring on the level of psychological conflict or of conflict between individuals or groups.
Conflict can significantly influence group dynamics and decision outcomes.
What should be evaluated when implementing a decision?
- What problems could this action cause?
- What can we do to prevent the problems?
- What unintended benefits or opportunities could arise?
- How can we make sure they happen?
- How can we be ready to act when the opportunities come?
Effective implementation requires thorough evaluation of potential issues and benefits.
What is groupthink?
Occurs when people choose not to disagree or raise objections because they don’t want to break up a positive team spirit.
Groupthink can lead to poor decision-making as critical viewpoints are suppressed.
What is goal displacement?
A condition that occurs when a decision-making group loses sight of its original goal and a new, less important goal emerges.
This can divert focus and resources away from the primary objective.
What is the illusion of control?
People’s belief that they can influence events, even when they have no control over what will happen.
This psychological bias can lead to overconfidence in decision-making.
What are framing effects?
A decision bias influenced by the way in which a problem or decision alternative is phrased or presented.
The presentation of information can significantly affect perceptions and choices.
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s beliefs or hypotheses.
This bias can hinder objective decision-making by skewing information processing.
What is the role of a devil’s advocate?
A person who has the job of criticizing ideas to ensure that their downsides are fully explored.
This role is crucial for preventing groupthink and promoting thorough analysis.
What is cognitive conflict?
Issue-based differences in perspectives or judgments.
Constructive cognitive conflict can enhance decision quality by introducing diverse viewpoints.
What is affective conflict?
Emotional disagreement directed toward other people.
Affective conflict can disrupt group cohesion and effectiveness.
What are programmed decisions?
Decisions encountered and made before, having objectively correct answers, and solvable by using simple rules, policies, or numerical computations.
These decisions are routine and often follow established procedures.
What are non-programmed decisions?
New, novel, complex decisions having no proven answers.
These decisions require more creativity and critical thinking.
What is vigilance in decision making?
A process in which a decision maker carefully executes all stages of decision making.
Vigilance is essential for ensuring thorough consideration of all relevant factors.
Fill in the blank: Groupthink occurs when individuals choose not to disagree or raise objections because they don’t want to break up a _______.
[positive team spirit].
True or False: Goal displacement can occur when a group focuses on less important goals instead of the original goal.
True.
