Editing Pluralistic ignorance (section)

==Consequences==
In recent years, pluralistic ignorance has been categorized as a roadblock to collective action involving important public issues, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="Miller-2023" />
[[File:Poverty-1274179 960 720.jpg|alt=A woman sitting on the street with two woman walking past her.|thumb|This image illustrates an example of the bystander effect. The woman sitting on the street is most likely in need, yet it appears that the individuals walking by do not notice her or have concern for her wellbeing. This may not be the case, but their outward behavior gives the impression of this reality, potentially hindering other bystanders from acting on their genuine feelings toward the woman.<ref name="Miller-2023" />]] That there was pluralistic ignorance has also been seen as a reason why far-right parties have been growing so fast in recent years.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Valentim |first1=Vicente |title=The Normalization of the Radical Right: A Norms Theory of Political Supply and Demand |date=2024 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=9780198926719}}</ref>

Another consequence of pluralistic ignorance is [[groupthink]].<ref name="Miller-2023" /><ref name="Sargent-2021" /> This refers to a situation where small, cohesive groups of intelligent individuals are led to make unintelligent decisions.<ref name="Miller-2023" /> Taking it a step further is the "illusion of unanimity", which describes a situation where an individual believes that they are the only one in the group that does not agree with the decision being made.<ref name="Miller-2023" /> Oftentimes, this illusion causes individuals to embrace the decision, as bad as it may be, if they feel their disagreement is not shared with the other members of the group.<ref name="Miller-2023" />

Perhaps the most researched consequence of pluralistic ignorance from an individualistic perspective is the [[bystander effect]]. In its most rudimentary form, the bystander effect describes a situation in which an individual is witnessing an event that prompts a strong set of emotions, yet they choose not to act on them since the surrounding "bystanders" are making no visible efforts to act, giving the impression that the individual's feelings toward the situation are invalid and not shared.<ref name="Miller-2023" /> This ultimately can result in a lack of action from everyone witnessing the event when action may be the appropriate choice given the situation.<ref name="Miller-2023" />

Maintaining the perspective of the individual, pluralistic ignorance can also cause people to feel alienated from a specific group.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter=Beyond One's Self |date=2012 |title=Self-Insight |pages=151–172  |publisher=Psychology Press|doi=10.4324/9780203337998 |isbn=9780203337998 |last1=Dunning |first1=David }}</ref> When one's personal attitude is seemingly in contrast to the majority, if not all, of those in the group, it can cause the individual to become "embittered" and "suspicious of those around them".<ref name="Blackford-2019">{{Cite book |last=Blackford |first=Russell |title=The tyranny of opinion: conformity and the future of liberalism |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-350-05600-8 |series=Think now series |location=London New York}}</ref> It may even motivate the individual to speak out against what is the perceived majority view or go completely silent.<ref name="Blackford-2019" /> The most probable result is the conformity of the individual in the way they speak and behave, possibly to the point of changing their personal convictions, in what might be the inaccurately perceived majority opinion.<ref name="Blackford-2019" />