Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

18.7K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
18.7K
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects01:29

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

150
Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
150
Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect01:26

Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect

135
The similarity-dissimilarity effect, a fundamental concept in social psychology, explains how interpersonal similarities and differences influence attraction and social interactions. This effect is supported by three key psychological perspectives: balance theory, social comparison theory, and consensual validation.Balance Theory and Cognitive ConsistencyBalance theory, developed by Fritz Heider, posits that individuals seek cognitive consistency in their relationships. When two people share...
135
Cognitive Dissonance01:38

Cognitive Dissonance

36.2K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
36.2K
Social Proof00:52

Social Proof

31.0K
Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do.
31.0K
Confirmation Biases01:31

Confirmation Biases

7.5K
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
7.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Orthorexia Nervosa and Its Associations with Novel Foods and Body Image Concerns.

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Psychopathological Correlates of Dysfunctional Smartphone and Social Media Use: The Role of Personality Disorders in Technological Addiction and Digital Life Balance.

European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education·2025
Same author

Behavioural repertoires in moving crowds: an observational approach.

Royal Society open science·2025
Same author

Let's Talk About Condoms: Social Engagement in a Sexual Health Intervention Targeting Young Adults in Denmark.

International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health·2024
Same author

How perceived polarization predicts attitude moralization (and vice versa): A four-wave longitudinal study during the 2020 U.S. election.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2024
Same author

The sound of silence: The importance of bystander support for confronters in the prevention of norm erosion.

The British journal of social psychology·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 28, 2025

Post-Movie Subliminal Measurement PMSM, for Investigating Implicit Social Bias
09:03

Post-Movie Subliminal Measurement PMSM, for Investigating Implicit Social Bias

Published on: February 29, 2020

6.1K

Private-Public Opinion Discrepancy.

Ren Manfredi1, Andrea Guazzini1,2, Carla Anne Roos3

  • 1Department of Education, Languages, Intercultural Studies, Literature and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

Plos One
|November 25, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Public debate may seem polarized, but private attitudes are often moderate. Agent-based modeling reveals how social dynamics, like reputation seeking, can silence diverse opinions, creating a gap between public and private views.

More Related Videos

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

12.0K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

962

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 28, 2025

Post-Movie Subliminal Measurement PMSM, for Investigating Implicit Social Bias
09:03

Post-Movie Subliminal Measurement PMSM, for Investigating Implicit Social Bias

Published on: February 29, 2020

6.1K
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

12.0K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

962

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Computational Social Science
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Increasing polarization in public debate is a growing concern in Western societies.
  • However, aggregate private attitudes often remain moderate and stable over time.
  • A discrepancy exists between public discourse and private sentiment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model the emergence of discrepancies between public opinion and private attitudes.
  • To explore how micro-level social interactions shape macro-level public opinion.
  • To understand the conditions under which public opinion reflects private attitudes.

Main Methods:

  • Agent-based modeling simulating micro-societies.
  • Distinguishing agents based on motivations: reputation/status seeking vs. group harmony.
  • Modeling decision rules for voicing opinions or remaining silent based on network behavior.

Main Results:

  • Publicly expressed opinions can oscillate even with stable private attitudes.
  • Reputational concerns can lead to silencing of both minority and majority viewpoints.
  • Micro-level decisions on voicing opinions have significant macro-level consequences.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides a framework for understanding public opinion formation through micro-level interactions.
  • It highlights how social dynamics can distort the representation of private attitudes in public discourse.
  • Further research can explore conditions for public opinion to accurately reflect private attitudes.