Question

Explain the role of a devil’s advocate in relation to group cohesion.

Answer 1

Group cohesion refers to the bond which is there among each and every individual member of the team, what makes the decision of groups accurate and effective is its functioning and ability to produce better outcomes. However, one of the most essential element which is regarded necessary for group cohesion is role of 'devil's advocate in a group'. This basically means Criticizing the current plan or idea, however in return, not offering any counterplan. It is regarded as a important part of group decision making, especially in those groups where consensus is obvious and the ultimate outcome is already known. It is seen that having a devil's advocate in a group yields a better and effective result than just leaving everything on experts and reaching to a group conclusion in the longer run. It can be well explained with the theory of groupthink, which says that pressure of unanimity can lead to consensus in the group and it will also lead to oppression of any viewpoint which goes against it. The theory says that team members who contributes by negative opinions in the group contribute more to the decision making than those who flows with consensus. Therefore, it can be said that devil's advocacy is " the cognitive capacity to analyze the external world from a different point of view".

Thus, it can be concluded that criticism and critical thinking over certain aspects is extremely important in a group decision making as it allows a team to look at particular issue from a different viewpoint, which can be negative as well and necessary improvement can be made in the decision making process in the longer run.