Groupthink
People have a harder time coming up with alternative solutions to a problem when they are part of a group.
Scientists exposed study participants to one brand of soft drink then asked them to think of alternative brands. Alone, they came up with significantly more products than when they were grouped with two others.
H. Shanker Krishnan: “When a group gets together, they can miss out on good options. Whether it’s with family or a group of co-workers, we could very quickly fixate on things and all come up with the same options.”
Individuals should take time to consider the facts on their own before coming to a consensus.
“Meetings make us dumber, study shows,” by Abigail W. Leonard