96. Group Decision Making Can Be Faulty

The Dangers of Group-Thinking

Making decisions as a group does not always yield the best results. The more people in a group, the more difficult it becomes to get to an ultimate decision.   Research Study In 2010 Andreas Mojzisch and Stefan Schulz-Hardt presented people with the information of job candidates. Some received information on candidates based on the preferences of others in their groups while others did not. It was discovered that the people who received the candidate preferences overlooked the details and did not make the best decisions. A different scenario where the members of each group met face to face with their candidate preferences took place. It was also noted that they talked about their preferences, dismissing the relevant information up for discussion.   Bahador Bahrami, on the other hand, in 2010 revealed that based on his research, two people making a decision is better than one. When two people view a situation from different perspectives, once they are confident in their statements and are capable of discussing their disagreements effectively, the proper decision can be made.

How To Make A Proper Group Decision

Here is a simple everyday example from Decision Education of how to come to a proper group decision.

Takeaways

Consider all relevant information and not make a decision based on bias. Be confident in your opinions and state why. Take the time to properly discuss any disagreements. Ensure that everyone has voiced their statements before making a decision.