Pepperdine University Pepperdine Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations 2016 The neurobiology of groupthink: a qEEG approach to the study of followership Angela A. Deulen Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd Recommended Citation Deulen, Angela A., "The neurobiology of groupthink: a qEEG approach to the study of followership" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 628. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/628 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF GROUPTHINK: A qEEG APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF FOLLOWERSHIP A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership by Angela A. Deulen April, 2016 Kent Rhodes, Ed.D. – Dissertation Chairperson This dissertation, written by Angela A Deulen under the guidance of a Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been submitted to and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Doctoral Committee: Kent Rhodes, Ed.D., Chairperson John Tobin, J.D. Joseph Pelletier, Ph.D. © Copyright by Angela A. Deulen (2016) All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ x VITA .............................................................................................................................................. xi ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. xv Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Need for the Study .............................................................................................................. 2 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 5 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 5 Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 6 Limitations of the Study ...................................................................................................... 6 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................................. 8 Organization of the Study ................................................................................................. 13 Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................................. 15 Background ....................................................................................................................... 15 Literature Search Strategies .............................................................................................. 17 Overview of the Organization of the Literature Review .................................................. 17 Literature Review .............................................................................................................. 18 Followership ......................................................................................................... 18 Conformity ............................................................................................................ 23 Conformity of Thought: Groupthink .................................................................... 32 Neuroscience ......................................................................................................... 41 Organizational Neuroscience: ............................................................................... 45 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 55 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 55 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 56 Nature of study .................................................................................................................. 57 Characteristics Studied ...................................................................................................... 57 Definition of Characteristics ................................................................................. 58 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 59 Population, Sample and Sampling Technique ...................................................... 60 Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Protection ...................................................... 62 Use of Private Health Information ........................................................................ 62 Use of Deception ................................................................................................... 62 Debriefing ............................................................................................................. 63 Follow-up Procedures ........................................................................................... 63 Study 1 .............................................................................................................................. 64 Participants ............................................................................................................ 64 Procedure and Instrumentation ............................................................................. 64 Study 2 .............................................................................................................................. 65 Participants ............................................................................................................ 66 Procedure and Instrumentation ............................................................................. 66 Risk to Participants ............................................................................................... 71 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 74 Chapter Four: Results ................................................................................................................... 75 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 75 Study One .......................................................................................................................... 75 Participants ............................................................................................................ 75 Analytical Techniques .......................................................................................... 76 Results ................................................................................................................... 76 Study Two ......................................................................................................................... 79 Participants ............................................................................................................ 80 Analytical Techniques .......................................................................................... 81 Results ................................................................................................................... 84 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 94 Chapter Five: Discussion .............................................................................................................. 96 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 96 Study One .......................................................................................................................... 96 Problems with the Design and Sample ................................................................. 96 Study Two ......................................................................................................................... 97 Problems with the Design and Sample ................................................................. 98 Tying