What is Groupshift?
Group shift, often termed “groupthink,” is a social psychology phenomenon wherein the collective decisions or opinions of a group become more extreme or polarized in a specific direction compared to the initial individual views of its members. In other words, a group shift is a change between a group’s decision and an individual decision that a member within a group would make; the shift can be either towards conservation or greater risk but it generally is towards a more extreme version of the group’s original position.
When a group engages in discussion or decision-making, their combined stance shifts towards a more extreme position. Be it more cautious or riskier than any member would have initially proposed independently. This phenomenon arises due to factors, like social influence, conformity, and the desire to maintain group cohesion, and it can result in decisions that are either more innovative or recklessly radical, depending on the context.