The Abilene Paradox is ______________?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The Abilene Paradox describes a situation where a group collectively endorses a course of action that none of the members actually desire, due to miscommunication, social pressure, and pluralistic ignorance.

1) Relevant concepts and knowledge points
- Abilene Paradox: coined by management professor Jerry B. Harvey (1974); illustrated by an anecdote about a family taking an unwanted trip to Abilene because each member believed the others wanted to go.
- Related ideas: groupthink, conformity, pluralistic ignorance, diffusion of responsibility, and failed communication in group decision-making.
- Key outcome: the group chooses an action that satisfies nobody, because individuals suppress true preferences to avoid conflict or because they mistakenly assume others favor the action.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- Recall the Abilene anecdote: family members agree to a trip none actually wanted, each assuming others wanted it.
- Extract the principle: the story serves as a metaphor for how groups can make decisions counter to individual preferences due to social dynamics.
- Map the principle to the answer choices: identify which choice captures the idea of misdirected influence and miscommunication.

3) (No calculations required.)

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- Option "A metaphor for how we can be incorrectly influenced by others" precisely captures that the Abilene Paradox is a conceptual story used to illustrate how social pressures and mistaken beliefs about others’ desires lead to collectively poor decisions. It emphasizes influence, misperception, and group decision dynamics—core elements of the paradox.

5) Why the other options are incorrect
- "A story of a day trip that went very wrong": Although the illustrative anecdote involves a trip, the paradox is not simply a literal tale about a bad day trip; it is a metaphorical lesson about group behavior.
- "A statement about how bad Abilene was in the past": Incorrect—this misinterprets the term as historical criticism of the town of Abilene rather than a social-psychological concept.
- "A fairy story": Incorrect—this trivializes the concept; the Abilene Paradox is a management/psychology metaphor, not a fictional fairy tale.

6) Conclusion
The correct choice is "A metaphor for how we can be incorrectly influenced by others," which matches the provided answer.

The Abilene Paradox is ______________?Single choice

Similar Questions

Which of the following is a criticism of the Social Exchange Theory?

Environmental scientists use many other kinds of knowledge to reach their goals. If a scientist wanted to know how best to urge people to adopt new ideas, they would need an understanding of Blank ______.

Perhaps the most crucial determinant of whether we like someone is whether he or she likes us. This best illustrates the power of

_____________ refers to the notion that the more we encounter a stimulus, the more we grow to like it.

When telemarketers call to ask if you care about poverty and then ask you to donate to a homeless shelter, which social influence technique is being used?

In all likelihood, there is a kernel of truth to the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype; that is, attractive people are often more warm and socially skilled than less attractive people. According to the self fulfilling prophecy, this is probably because

A study finds that targeted group members are more likely to be seen as overly sensitive, whereas non-targeted group members are seen as more credible. Which explanation best accounts for this pattern?

Which one of the following is NOT a stated reason for why “shared realities” create closeness with people?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler