MEPX
Chapter 6 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Why we have them
  2. 2Biases about belief
  3. 3Biases about numbers
  4. 4Biases about ourselves
  5. 5Biases in decisions
  6. 6Biases in groups
  7. 7Looking backwards
  8. 8Biases in what you see
  9. 9What actually helps
  10. 10Being careful with the concept

Chapter 6 of 10

Biases in groups

Why meetings decide badly.

Conformity and cascades

People adjust their stated view towards the group, and once a few agree the rest follow. The result looks like consensus and is often one person's opinion repeated.

  • Whoever speaks first anchors the room.
  • Seniority multiplies that anchoring effect.

Groupthink

Cohesive groups under pressure suppress doubts to preserve agreement. Assigning someone to argue the opposite case, formally, is one of the few fixes that works.