The tendency for group discussion to strengthen the average initial position of group members is called:

Question

Accepted Answer

Group polarization. Group polarization is the phenomenon in which group discussion causes members to shift toward a more extreme position in the direction they were already leaning. If individual members initially favor a moderately risky option, after discussion the group will tend to favor an even riskier option. If members initially lean toward a cautious position, the group will become even more cautious. The key insight is that groups do not moderate opinions but rather amplify the pre-existing tendency.

Two main explanations account for group polarization. Informational influence occurs when members hear new persuasive arguments favoring the dominant position during discussion, providing additional reasons to support it. Normative influence occurs when members discover that the group norm is more extreme than they initially expressed and shift their position to gain social approval or avoid appearing uncommitted to the group's values.

Social loafing ("Conformity") is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. Conformity ("Deindividuation") is a broader term referring to changing one's behavior or beliefs to match group norms, as demonstrated in Solomon Asch's line judgment experiments. Deindividuation ("Group polarization") is the loss of self-awareness and personal responsibility that can occur in group settings, sometimes leading to antisocial behavior. Group polarization has important real-world implications, including explaining how juries reach more extreme verdicts than individual jurors would, how political groups become more ideologically extreme, and how corporate boards make increasingly risky decisions.

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