In the spiral of silence theory, the tendency for people to remain silent when they believe their views are a minority can lead to what misperception about public opinion?

• A. A false consensus effect
• B. An accurate representation of public opinion
• C. An increase in minority expression
• D. A decline in overall political interest

Answer: (A)

Spiral of silence says people assess what others think by listening to who speaks up. When someone believes their view is a minority, they’re less likely to voice it, so the loud, visible opinions come to seem like the majority. That creates a false consensus: the belief that many people share a view simply because those who do speak out are visible, while many who disagree stay silent. This isn’t an accurate read on public opinion, it’s a biased signal produced by self-censorship. The idea that silence boosts minority expression or that it directly signals a drop in political interest doesn’t fit the mechanism here.