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social
You assume the person next to you is fine.
The 'pluralistic ignorance' effect leads individuals to believe they are the only ones struggling while everyone else appears satisfied.
In social settings, everyone suppresses their true feelings to conform to a perceived norm of happiness. Because everyone is hiding their doubt, every individual assumes they are the only one who doesn't 'get it'.
You are surrounded by people who are mirroring your own hidden uncertainty.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Prentice & Miller, 1993, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- The claim accurately reflects the mechanism of pluralistic ignorance as cited in the provided text. Prentice & Miller (1993) is the seminal paper identifying this effect in the context of student alcohol consumption.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.