Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:

Just as individuals compare themselves with others in terms of similarities and differences with respect to what they have and what others have, individuals also compare the group they belong to with groups of which they are not a member.

It has been found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals alone. Suppose there is an employee who has been caught taking a bribe or engaging in some other unethical act. His/her colleagues are asked to decide what punishment he/she should be given.

They may let him/her go scot-free or decide to terminate his/her services instead of imposing a punishment which may commensurate with the unethical act he/she had engaged in. Whatever the initial position in the group, this position becomes much stronger as a result of discussions and interaction in the group.

Q) The strengthening of the group’s initial position as a result of group discussion and interaction is referred to as:

The correct option is Group polarisation.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Understanding Group Polarisation:
Group polarisation is a social psychological phenomenon where group discussion and interaction lead to a shift in the group's overall attitude or decision towards a more extreme position than the initial inclinations of its individual members. If the group's initial tendency is to be cautious, discussions make them even more cautious; if they lean towards risk or a specific judgment (like deciding a punishment), the final decision becomes even more extreme or strong in that direction.

2. Connection to the Passage:
The passage describes how a group deciding on an unethical colleague's punishment might choose extreme options (either letting them go scot-free or terminating their services) rather than a moderate, commensurate punishment. It explicitly states: "Whatever the initial position in the group, this position becomes much stronger as a result of discussions and interaction in the group." This strengthening of the initial position through group interaction is the classic definition of group polarisation.

3. Why Other Options are Incorrect:
- Groupthink: This refers to a phenomenon where the desire for harmony or conformity in a group results in dysfunctional decision-making, where members suppress dissenting viewpoints to avoid conflict. It is not specifically about the intensification of an initial stance.
- Obedience: This is a form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order or command from an authority figure.
- Social loafing: This is the tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working collectively in a group compared to when they work individually.