Group polarization in decision-making

Group polarization is a psychosocial phenomenon that describes the tendency of groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their individual members.

Far from moderating positions, group discussion often intensifies them in the direction that already predominated.

Definition of the Phenomenon

When a group discusses an issue on which its members already have a certain inclination (for example, the majority favors a risky option or, conversely, a cautious option), the group discussion tends to strengthen that initial inclination.

The result is that the group's final decision is more extreme—more risky if the tendency was toward risk, or more cautious if the tendency was toward caution—than the average of the individual decisions prior to the discussion would have been.

This phenomenon does not imply that the group always moves toward risk, but rather that it shifts toward the pole that was already dominant among its members. members.

Explanatory Mechanisms of Polarization

Several theories attempt to explain why group polarization occurs:

• Persuasive Arguments: During group discussion, members hear new arguments that support their initial position, many of which they may not have considered before. This exposure to more arguments in the dominant direction reinforces and extremes their position.

• Social Comparison: People tend to compare themselves with others and want to be perceived favorably. In a group, they may find that other members share their inclinations and even express them more forcefully. To maintain a positive self-image or to be seen as a "good" or committed member of the group, they may adopt an even more extreme stance in the direction valued by the group.

• Social Identity: If group membership is important to a person's identity, they may adopt more extreme stances to positively differentiate themselves from other groups (out