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) Match List-I with List-II:

List-I

(A) Members are viewed differently and are often perceived negatively

(B) The strengthening of the group’s initial position as a result of group interaction and discussion

(C) Appearance of consensus or unanimous agreement within a group

(D) Team spirit or ‘we’ feeling or a sense of belongingness to the group

List-II

(I) Group polarisation

(II) Cohesiveness

(Ill) Outgroup

(IV) Groupthink

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct option is (A) - (III), (B) - (I), (C) - (IV), (D) - (II).

Let us break down the matching process by analyzing each term from List-I and linking it with the correct psychological concept in List-II:

(A) Members are viewed differently and are often perceived negatively:
This refers to members of groups that an individual does not belong to. In social psychology, groups we do not identify with are called "outgroups", and their members are frequently viewed with bias or perceived negatively. Thus, (A) matches with (III) Outgroup.

(B) The strengthening of the group’s initial position as a result of group interaction and discussion:
As described in the passage, when groups discuss a situation, their initial inclination becomes much stronger or more extreme. This psychological phenomenon is known as group polarization. Thus, (B) matches with (I) Group polarisation.

(C) Appearance of consensus or unanimous agreement within a group:
When a group prioritizes harmony and consensus over critical evaluation, members self-censor their dissenting views to maintain the appearance of unanimous agreement. This is known as groupthink. Thus, (C) matches with (IV) Groupthink.

(D) Team spirit or ‘we’ feeling or a sense of belongingness to the group:
The interpersonal forces, camaraderie, and mutual attraction that bind members together within a group to create a sense of unity and belongingness are defined as group cohesiveness. Thus, (D) matches with (II) Cohesiveness.

Combining all the correct pairings, we get:
(A) - (III)
(B) - (I)
(C) - (IV)
(D) - (II)