Mindguard
Member of a group who serves as an informational filter
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In groupthink theory, a mindguard is a member of a group who serves as an informational filter, providing limited information to the group and, consciously or subconsciously, utilizing a variety of strategies to control dissent and to direct the decision-making process toward a specific, limited range of possibilities.[1] The presence of mindguards within a group is one of eight main "symptoms" of groupthink identified by its original theorist, Irving Janis.[2] Mindguards can be self-appointed,[2] and multiple mindguards are frequently present in groupthink situations.
The techniques utilized, consciously or subconsciously, by mindguards include:
- time pressure in regard to decision-making
- bandwagon effect/information cascades
- reframing situations to increase pressure toward or away from a specific outcome
- creating a sense that group cohesion will suffer if unanimity is lacking
- other techniques.[3]
Mindguards exist in a variety of group settings.[citation needed] They are not always easy to identify, which adds to the difficulty in countering the phenomenon.