Group polarization
Group polarization effects have been demonstrated to exaggerate the inclinations of group members after a discussion.
Study of this effect shown that after participating in a discussion group, members tend to advocate more extreme positions and call for riskier courses of action than individuals whom did not participate in any such discussion. This phenomenon was originally coined risky shift but in recent years certain experimental conditions have been found that lead group discussion to inhibit risk; many now use choice shift as a replacement term for both effects.
In addition, attitudes such as racial and sexual prejudice tend to be reduced (for already low-prejudice individuals) and extremified (for already high-prejudice individuals) after group discussion.
Some studies have linked group polarization effects to the behaviors of trial juries. In different studies, mock jury members after deliberating favored either stronger or more lenient sentences than any individuals had held before discussion.
See also: Groupthink, group-serving bias, list of cognitive biases.
References
- Moscovici, S., & Zavalloni, M. (1969). The group as a polarizer of attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 12, 125-135
- Bray, R. M., & Noble, A. M. (1978). Authoritarianism and decisions of mock juries: Evidence of jury bias and group polarization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 1424-1430.
- MacCoun, R. J.; Kerr, N. L. (1988). Asymmetric influence in mock jury deliberation: Jurors' bias for leniency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 21-33.
