The effect of discussion on polarization of judgments

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of discussion on group decisions and individual judgments, and to verify the tendency of group polarization through discussion. In Experiment I, 4- or 5-person groups responded three times to two jury cases (Case 1: a traffic case, Case 2: an euthanasia problem) in the order of individual-group-individual. The results showed that group polarization did not occur in Case 1, and depolarization tended to occur in Case 2. Group members seemed not enough share their initial judgments in these cases. In Experiment II, 4- or 5-person groups responded three times to a traffic case in which the defendant obviously appeared guilty. The order of responding was individual-group-individual. The results showed that not only group polarization but also confidence in the judgment significantly increased following discussion. The subjects also declared themselves more satisfied with the result of discussion in Experiment II than in Experiment I. The results were discussed in terms of both informational influence and social comparison.