You are sitting in your psychology class, and you do not understand what the professor is saying. You would like to ask a question, but as you look around the room, you see others quietly taking notes, and it looks like they understand. Nobody is asking questions, so you don't either. As it turns out, the majority of the students are thinking just as you are, so nobody asks any questions. This situation illustrates the concept of

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The situation described illustrates pluralistic ignorance, which occurs when people assume that everyone else in a group understands something and, therefore, no one asks for clarification or speaks up. In this case, everyone is assuming that the other students understand, so no one is asking questions.

You Are Sitting in Your Psychology Class, and You Do