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.[1] The presence of mindguards within a group is one of eight main "symptoms" of groupthink identified by its original theorist, Irving Janis.[2] Mindguards can be self-appointed, and multiple mindguards are frequently present in groupthink situations.
The techniques utilized, consciously or subconsciously, by mindguards include:
Mindguards exist in a variety of group settings. They are not always easy to identify, which adds to the difficulty in countering the phenomenon.