The spiral of silence theory explains why people often don’t express opinions that go against popular beliefs due to a desire for acceptance and fear of exclusion. This behavior is similar to the bystander effect and can lead to destructive crowd behavior. Mass media can act as a surrogate group leader, and conformity is more prevalent in areas with strong customs and norms.
While it’s romantic to imagine an outspoken hero rising from the ranks of an angry mob, the scenario is unlikely. People tend to act collectively, even when individuals within the group hold different beliefs. The spiral of silence is a psychological and sociological theory that attempts to explain why human beings often do not express opinions contrary to popular beliefs.
The spiral of silence theory assumes that an individual is correctly aware of public opinion and has a desire for acceptance. A person’s judgment of prevailing thought appears to be largely innate. Essentially, that individual knows how other group members feel about an issue without the opinion ever being expressed. Those who think differently are unlikely to voice their personal beliefs out of fear of being excluded from the group.
In many ways, the spiral of silence can be compared to the bystander effect. While the bystander effect applies to situations where a physical response is needed, both behaviors include a diffusion of responsibility. In short, individuals are less likely to respond, by voice or action, to a situation in which others are present. The cause of this spread is hypothesized. Some believe that an individual is less compelled to respond when there are others who are able to; others believe that humans feel the need to respond in the same way as other group members.
It is not uncommon for groups to establish conventions to which a majority of members disagree. Like the spiral of silence, pluralistic ignorance theory addresses individuals who are unlikely to go against the group. In this situation, however, most of the other group members secretly disagree with the perceived opinion. Fear of social retaliation produces a silent majority. When these types of groups are led by a strong personality, destructive crowd behavior can occur.
Historically, collective behavior has been limited to isolated groups of individuals or communities. With the development of mass media, however, large numbers of people are exposed to established public opinion. In these cases, news coverage often acts as a surrogate group leader. Whole populations are now subject to the formation of collective thought.
Scenarios like the spiral of silence are more likely in areas with strong and well-defined customs and norms. In these areas, conformity is often necessary as group behavior ensures the successful continuation of an established way of life. For communities where individual and cultural diversity is encouraged, there is less need for a collective conscience.
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