ABSTRACT
what are the causes of group polarization? Quite a few have been posited, but there are three central accounts in the psychological literature, and we will discuss these here. According to persuasive arguments theory, group polarization is primarily an informational phenomenon caused by the impact of informational exchanges on group members during collective deliberation. An alternative explanation uses the tools of social comparison theory, whose fundamental assumption is that individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparison with the opinions and abilities of others, to the point that they tend to perceive and present themselves in ways that are socially desirable to others. A third notable social-psychological account of the causes of group polarization is self-categorization theory, which explains group polarization as a phenomenon that arises in intergroup contexts. More specifically, group polarization is understood as conformation to a polarized ingroup norm that results from a process of self-categorization among group members when confronted with other groups’ views.
