ABSTRACT
The goal-oriented activities and decisions made by groups in business and politics very frequently involve the search for and evaluation of information. As the quality of group decision making is regarded as superior to that of individuals, one could assume that the information-seeking processes of groups are carried out in a more objective, well-balanced manner than those of individual decision makers. The influence of a minority opinion on information seeking in groups depends on its size. The effects of selective exposure to information were shown to be particularly prominent in homogeneous groups and in groups that had a formal leader. Subsequently, information outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the decision has to be selected. The social comparison shows the individual that his or her evaluation seems to be correct, which is why contradicting information may be regarded as unnecessary and/or incredible—the group relies on a simple "consensus implies correctness" heuristic.
