Mindguard

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title: "Mindguard" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["conformity"] description: "Member of a group who serves as an informational filter" topic_path: "general/conformity" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindguard" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Member of a group who serves as an informational filter ::

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. The presence of mindguards within a group is one of eight main "symptoms" of groupthink identified by its original theorist, Irving Janis. Mindguards can be self-appointed, 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.

Mindguards exist in a variety of group settings. They are not always easy to identify, which adds to the difficulty in countering the phenomenon.

References

References

1. Evans, Martin G.. (January 24, 1981). "'Group Think' can be disastrous". [[Financial Post]].
2. Janis, I. L.. (November 1971). "Groupthink". Psychology Today.
3. "Critical Eye on Nanking".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::