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Q076

4択Multiple choice基礎Basic
集団意思決定・悪魔の代弁者group decision-making · devil's advocate
経営会議で新規事業への大型投資が全員一致で承認されそうになっています。会議の質を高めるために「悪魔の代弁者(devil's advocate)」を置く場合、その役割として最も適切な説明はどれですか。A major investment in a new business is about to be approved unanimously at an executive meeting. If you appoint a 'devil's advocate' to improve the quality of the meeting, which best describes that role?
  1. 個人的に反対している人を選び、感情的に議論を止めさせる
  2. 賛否にかかわらず、あえて提案の弱点や反対論を体系的に提示する役割を明示的に割り当てる
  3. 多数派の意見を要約し、決定を早く確定させる
  4. 会議の後で反対意見を個別に集め、議事録に追記する
  1. Pick someone who personally opposes the plan and let them stop the discussion emotionally
  2. Explicitly assign someone, regardless of their own view, to systematically present the proposal's weaknesses and counterarguments
  3. Summarize the majority view and finalize the decision quickly
  4. Collect dissenting opinions individually after the meeting and append them to the minutes

解答Answer

正解: BCorrect: B

悪魔の代弁者は、本人の意見とは独立に反対論を構造的に提示する公式な役割であり、全員一致の圧力に対抗して議論の質を高めます。The devil's advocate is a formal role, independent of personal opinion, that systematically voices counterarguments to counter the pressure of unanimity.

解説Explanation

「悪魔の代弁者」はカトリック教会が列聖審査で候補者の欠点をあえて主張する役職を置いたことに由来します。Irving Janis は『集団思考(Groupthink)』でピッグス湾事件などを分析し、結束の強い集団が反対意見を抑圧して誤った決定に至る過程を示し、対策として反対役の任命を挙げました。重要なのは、役割として割り当てることで反対意見を述べる心理的コストを下げ、「人格ではなく提案」への批判として受け止められるようにする点です。選択肢Aは感情的な対立を生むだけで構造的な検討になりません。Cは全員一致を加速させ、まさに集団思考を助長します。Dは決定後では遅く、議論に影響を与えません。本心からの少数意見の方が形式的な反対役より効果が大きいという知見もあります。The term originates in the Catholic Church, which appointed an official to argue against candidates for sainthood. Irving Janis, analyzing cases such as the Bay of Pigs in his work on groupthink, showed how cohesive groups suppress dissent and reach poor decisions, and recommended appointing a designated critic as a remedy. The key is that assigning the role lowers the psychological cost of objecting and frames criticism as directed at the proposal rather than at people. Option A merely generates emotional conflict without structured scrutiny. Option C accelerates unanimity and feeds groupthink. Option D comes too late to influence the decision. Research by Charlan Nemeth suggests that authentic minority dissent is more powerful than a token role, so the practice must not become ritual.

課題Issue

指名された反対役が形式的に振る舞い、参加者が「どうせ役割だから」と聞き流すと効果は失われます。また同じ人が毎回反対役を担うと、その人物が「否定的な人」と見なされ、キャリア上の不利益を被ることもあります。反対意見を出しても決定が変わらない経験が続けば、制度自体が形骸化します。If the designated critic performs the role perfunctorily and participants dismiss the objections as mere theater, the benefit disappears. When the same person always plays the role, they may be labeled negative and suffer career consequences. If dissent never changes decisions, the practice quickly becomes an empty ritual that people tolerate rather than value.

改善案Improvement

反対役は会議ごとに持ち回りとし、事前に準備時間を与えて具体的なデータに基づく反論を用意させます。反対役が挙げた論点には必ず提案者が書面で回答し、どの論点が決定に反映されたかを記録します。複数人による「レッドチーム」形式にすれば個人への負担と烙印を避けられます。Rotate the role at each meeting and give the critic preparation time to build objections on concrete data. Require the proposer to respond in writing to each point and record which objections changed the decision. Using a small red team rather than one individual spreads the burden and prevents anyone from being stigmatized as the perpetual naysayer.