What is the historical background of groupthink?

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis in 1972, refers to the phenomenon where the desire for group consensus leads to irrational decision-making. Its historical roots can be traced back to various instances of poor decision-making in the 1950s, notably the Bay of Pigs invasion, which highlighted how cohesive groups can suppress dissenting viewpoints. Janis identified key symptoms of groupthink, such as illusion of invulnerability and collective rationalization, which can lead to disastrous outcomes in organizational contexts. Since then, the concept has been widely studied in psychology, business, and political science to understand and mitigate its effects.