Addressing the influence of groupthink during ideation concerned with new applications of technology in society

As well as physical technology in society and digital technology in society, there is also technology in society within the non-conscious human mind. In particular, unconscious preference for least cognitive effort and subconscious preference for least social resistance can coincide in groupthink about technology in society, which include fads, hype, lock-ins, path dependencies and success traps. Ideation concerned with new applications of technology in society is often constrained by groupthink. In this paper, an exploratory study addressing the influence of these constraints on ideation is reported. The study involved use of nine science-based techniques across the “preparation-incubation-illumination-verification” model of ideation. Findings indicate that the constraining influence of groupthink can be reduced, but much work may be required to do so. Hence, it can be anticipated that technology in society within the non-conscious human mind will continue to exert influence over new applications of physical and virtual technology in society.