Explain how groupthink differs from group polarization.

Groupthink and group polarization are two distinct concepts in social psychology, both dealing with decision-making processes in groups.

1. Groupthink: This is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, where the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints, by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences.

   Key characteristics of groupthink include an illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in inherent morality of the group, stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as outsiders, direct pressure on dissenters to conform, self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus, illusions of unanimity, and self-appointed 'mindguards' who shield the group from dissenting information.

2. Group Polarization: This refers to the tendency for a group to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members. These more extreme decisions are towards greater risk if individuals' initial tendencies are to be risky and towards greater caution if individuals' initial tendencies are to be cautious. The decisions may be more conservative or more aggressive, depending on the initial disposition of the group.

   The main causes of group polarization include informational influence (persuasive arguments theory) and normative influence (social comparison theory). In persuasive arguments theory, the most common explanation for group polarization is that individuals become more convinced of their views when they hear similar views. In social comparison theory, individuals change their opinions in order to conform to what they perceive to be the group norm.

In summary, while both groupthink and group polarization deal with the influence of group dynamics on decision-making, they are different in that groupthink is about striving for consensus, which may lead to poor decision-making, while group polarization is about groups making more extreme decisions based on initial tendencies.