Irving Janis
Encyclopedia
Irving Lester Janis was a research psychologist
at Yale University
and a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
most famous for his theory of "groupthink
" which described the systematic errors made by groups when taking collective decisions. He retired in 1986.
in 1939, then received a doctorate from Columbia University
.
Psychology Department, where he remained for the next forty years.
During his career, Janis studied decisionmaking in areas such as dieting and smoking. This work described how people respond to threats, as well as what conditions give rise to irrational complacency, apathy, hopelessness, rigidity, and panic.
Janis also made important contributions to the study of group dynamics
. He did extensive work in the area of “groupthink
,” which describes the tendency of some groups to try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without sufficiently testing, analyzing, and evaluating their ideas. His work suggested that pressures for conformity restrict the thinking of the group, bias its analysis, promote simplistic and stereotyped thinking, and stifle individual creative and independent thought.
Janis wrote or co-wrote more than a dozen books, the best-known of which are Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes, Decision Making: a Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice, and Commitment, and Crucial Decisions: Leadership in Policymaking and Crisis Management.
He also collaborated with Carl Hovland
on his studies of attitude
change, including the sleeper effect
.
In 1967, Janis was awarded the Socio-Psychological Prize by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (b). In 1981, he received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association. In 1991, he won the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology.
He retired from Yale University in 1985, and in 1986 was appointed Adjunct Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
most famous for his theory of "groupthink
Groupthink
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. It is the mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without...
" which described the systematic errors made by groups when taking collective decisions. He retired in 1986.
Early years
Irving Janis was born on May 26, 1918 in Buffalo, New York. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1939, then received a doctorate from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Career
During the Second World War, Janis was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he carried out studies of military morale. In 1947, Janis became a faculty member of the Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
Psychology Department, where he remained for the next forty years.
During his career, Janis studied decisionmaking in areas such as dieting and smoking. This work described how people respond to threats, as well as what conditions give rise to irrational complacency, apathy, hopelessness, rigidity, and panic.
Janis also made important contributions to the study of group dynamics
Group dynamics
Group dynamics refers to a system of behaviors and psychological processes that occur within a social group , or between social groups...
. He did extensive work in the area of “groupthink
Groupthink
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. It is the mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without...
,” which describes the tendency of some groups to try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without sufficiently testing, analyzing, and evaluating their ideas. His work suggested that pressures for conformity restrict the thinking of the group, bias its analysis, promote simplistic and stereotyped thinking, and stifle individual creative and independent thought.
Janis wrote or co-wrote more than a dozen books, the best-known of which are Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes, Decision Making: a Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice, and Commitment, and Crucial Decisions: Leadership in Policymaking and Crisis Management.
He also collaborated with Carl Hovland
Carl Hovland
Carl Iver Hovland was a psychologist working primarily at Yale University and the US Army during World War II who studied attitude change and persuasion....
on his studies of attitude
Attitude (psychology)
An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike for something. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or event— this is often referred to as the attitude object...
change, including the sleeper effect
Sleeper effect
The sleeper effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby a highly persuasive message, paired with a discounting cue, causes an individual to be more persuaded by the message over time.-The sleeper effect:...
.
In 1967, Janis was awarded the Socio-Psychological Prize by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (b). In 1981, he received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association. In 1991, he won the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology.
He retired from Yale University in 1985, and in 1986 was appointed Adjunct Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.