Group Polarisation

Group polarisation is a tendency that emerges when groups make decisions. You already know that important decisions — like whether to build a school in a village — are taken by groups, not by individuals alone. But group decision-making comes with its own risks. One well-known risk is groupthink, which you may have read about. Another, equally important tendency is group polarisation.

Research has found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals acting alone. Imagine an employee caught taking a bribe or committing some other unethical act. Her colleagues are asked to decide on a punishment. Instead of choosing a penalty that fits the offence, the group might either let her go completely free or decide to terminate her services — both extreme outcomes. Whatever the initial leaning of the group members, that position becomes much stronger after discussion.

This strengthening of the group’s initial position as a result of group interaction and discussion is called group polarisation. The group does not simply stay where it started; it moves further in the same direction. If members were mildly in favour of a lenient punishment, they become strongly in favour of leniency. If they were somewhat in favour of a harsh punishment, they become strongly in favour of harshness. The result is that groups may take extreme positions — from very weak to very strong decisions — and this can sometimes have dangerous repercussions. …