§Mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a
decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal of
alternatives.
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§As our book notes, the phenomenon of groupthink helps to explain our
failure to anticipate the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the escalation of the Vietnam War, the Watergate
cover-up, the space shuttle Challenger explosion, and the belief that Iraq had WMD. Groupthink is often a
concern when juries deliberate to arrive at a guilty or not guilty verdict (e.g., film Twelve Angry Men).
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§What mechanisms could be used in the jury room to avoid groupthink?