ABSTRACT
This chapter concentrates on perceptions of other people's opinions and how they influence the public opinion process. Human beings face physical and cognitive limitations that constrain their perceptions, including their perceptions of other people's actions and motives. Leon Festinger, several theoretical frameworks have treated the role of perception in public opinion formation. Festinger discussion of how social comparison informs opinions is so important for their purposes that summarize his major points. A modern-day example of the looking-glass perception is the ever-present "selfie" on social media. O'Gorman and Stephen Garry's evidence of pluralistic ignorance on segregation might be partly explained by disowning projection, or at least by social desirability bias. The study of neighbor perceptions of others' opinions on local, state, and national issues, Glynn found evidence of ideological biases in both directions. False consensus can have a major impact on public opinion formation and on public debate.
