Suppose that, one day, a gorilla broke loose from the zoo and made his way to a local park. People in the park were confused by the sudden presence of the gorilla. They thought to themselves, "Isn't that a gorilla?" "Isn't it dangerous to have a gorilla here?" However, none of them voiced their concerns, and as a result, there was no communication about the gorilla. The park-goers ultimately assumed that there was a reason for the gorilla to be there ("otherwise," they thought, "someone would have said something"). And the gorilla ended up staying at the park for several hours. In this example, ____ was MOST at play.
A)the bystander effect
B)pluralistic ignorance
C)diffusion of responsibility
D)the commons dilemma

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pluralistic ignorance occurs when individuals mistakenly believe that their own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are different from those of the group, often leading to inaction because they assume they are the only ones concerned or noticing an issue. In this scenario, each person thought they were the only one concerned about the gorilla and assumed others were not worried because no one else voiced their concerns.

Suppose That, One Day, a Gorilla Broke Loose from the Zoo