Why extremists tend to dominate debates

clipped from news.yahoo.com Why Extremist Views Dominate A new study suggests a possible reason: People with extreme views seem more willing to share their opinions than others, but only if they believe, even falsely, that their views are popular. clipped from ts-si.org Extremists Assume Majority Status When Sharing Opinions Those that take the extreme version of their group’s viewpoint may believe that they actually represent the true views of their group. “When people with extreme views have this false sense that they are in the majority, they are more willing to express themselves,” said Kimberly Rios Morrison, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University (OSU). clipped from www.sciencedirect.com Journal of Experimental Social Psychology Volume 45, Issue 4, July 2009, Pages 740-747 clipped from researchnews.osu.edu EXTREMISTS MORE WILLING TO SHARE THEIR OPINIONS, STUDY FINDS The key is that the extremists have to believe that more people share their views than actually do, the research found. Kimberly Rios Morrison

Sources:

1. Why Extremist Views Dominate - Yahoo! News
2. Extremists Assume Majority Status When Sharing Opinions
3. ScienceDirect - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology : Expressing deviant opinions: Believing you are in the majority helps
4. Extremists More Willing To Share Their Opinions, Study Finds

Related:

1. Extremists more willing to share their opinions, study finds
2. Prof: Extremists tend to dominate debates • The Register
3. Global Debate: Study Shows "Extreme" Views Dominate Public Debates
4. Distinguishing Between Silent and Vocal Minorities: Not All Deviants Feel Marginal : Center for Social Innovation (CSI)
5. OSU School of Communication: Dr. Kimberly Rios