Asked by Martin Cricket on Apr 23, 2024

verifed

Verified

You are sitting in your psychology class, and you do not understand what the professor is saying. You would like to ask a question, but as you look around the room, you see others quietly taking notes, and it looks like they understand. Nobody is asking questions, so you don't either. As it turns out, the majority of the students are thinking just as you are, so nobody asks any questions. This situation illustrates the concept of

A) the diffusion of responsibility.
B) pluralistic ignorance.
C) social loafing.
D) group polarization.

Pluralistic Ignorance

A social psychological phenomenon where a majority of group members privately reject a norm, but incorrectly assume that most others accept it, and therefore go along with it.

Psychology Class

An academic course that studies the mind and behavior, covering topics from social interactions to cognitive processes.

  • Recognize the influence of stereotypes, self-fulfilling prophecies, and primacy effects on perception and behavior.
verifed

Verified Answer

KF
Kayla FischerMay 02, 2024
Final Answer :
B
Explanation :
The situation described illustrates pluralistic ignorance, which occurs when people assume that everyone else in a group understands something and, therefore, no one asks for clarification or speaks up. In this case, everyone is assuming that the other students understand, so no one is asking questions.