Group polarization

(noun)

It refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members.

Related Terms

Examples of Group polarization in the following topics:

  • Controlling the Behaviors of Group Members

    • The behavior of group members can be controlled indirectly through group polarization, groupthink, and herd behavior.
    • Group polarization is the phenomenon that when placed in group situations, people will make decisions and form opinions that are more extreme than when they are in individual situations.
    • The importance of group polarization is significant as it helps explain group behavior in a variety of real-life situations.
    • For instance, group polarization can largely be seen at political conventions that are broadcasted nation wide before a large election.
    • Give examples of group polarization, groupthink and herd behavior in real life

  • Making Decisions

    • In 2009, an interesting occurrence of group polarization was found in a study conducted by Luhan, Kocher, and Sutter, in which subjects played a ‘dictator game'.
    • This study therefore offers evidence of group polarization in that the actions of individuals when in a group were more extreme than when the individual acted individually.
    • Similarly, group polarization refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members.
    • In 2009, an interesting occurrence of group polarization was found in a study conducted by Luhan, Kocher, and Sutter, in which subjects played a ‘dictator game'.
    • This study therefore offers evidence of group polarization, where the actions of individuals when in a group were more extreme than when the individual acted individually.

  • Properties of Aldehydes and Ketones

    • Because of the greater electronegativity of oxygen, the carbonyl group is polar, and aldehydes and ketones have larger molecular dipole moments (D) than do alkenes.
    • The resonance structures in the first diagram below illustrate this polarity, and the relative dipole moments of formaldehyde, other aldehydes and ketones confirm the stabilizing influence that alkyl substituents have on carbocations (the larger the dipole moment the greater the polar character of the carbonyl group).
    • The polarity of the carbonyl group also has a profound effect on its chemical reactivity, compared with the non-polar double bonds of alkenes.
    • The C=O bond energy of a carbonyl group, on the other hand, varies with its location, as follows:
    • The inherent polarity of the carbonyl group, together with its increased basicity (compared with alkenes), lowers the transition state energy for both reactions, with a resulting increase in rate.

  • Functional Groups

    • Functional groups are groups of molecules attached to organic molecules and give them specific identities or functions.
    • Functional groups are groups of atoms that occur within organic molecules and confer specific chemical properties to those molecules.
    • Functional groups are usually classified as hydrophobic or hydrophilic depending on their charge or polarity.
    • An example of a hydrophobic group is the non-polar methane molecule.
    • This carboxyl group ionizes to release hydrogen ions (H+) from the COOH group resulting in the negatively charged COO- group; this contributes to the hydrophilic nature of whatever molecule it is found on.

  • Polar Functions and Umpolung

    • In the above list of classic reactions for carbon-carbon bond formation we find many applications involving polar functional groups, such as the carbonyl group.
    • If a double bond extends the influence of the polar group, as for allyl halides, nucleophilic substitution may occur at either the α or γ-carbon.
    • The corresponding umpolung polarities and bonding connections are shown in the structures on the right.
    • Subsequent removal of the oxygen protective group exposes the cyanohydrin which immediately decomposes to a carbonyl group.
    • Reaction 3 illustrates the use of nitro alkanes as latent carbonyl groups.

  • Bond Polarity

    • In chemistry, bond polarity is the separation of electric charge along a bond, leading to a molecule or its chemical groups having an electric dipole or dipole moment.
    • Bonds can fall between one of two extremes, from completely nonpolar to completely polar.
    • The terms "polar" and "nonpolar" usually refer to covalent bonds.
    • To determine the polarity of a covalent bond using numerical means, find the difference between the electronegativity of the atoms; if the result is between 0.4 and 1.7, then, generally, the bond is polar covalent.
    • The hydrogen fluoride (HF) molecule is polar by virtue of polar covalent bonds; in the covalent bond, electrons are displaced toward the more electronegative fluorine atom.

  • Water’s Solvent Properties

    • Water's polarity makes it an excellent solvent for other polar molecules and ions.
    • A polar molecule with partially-positive and negative charges, it readily dissolves ions and polar molecules.
    • Water is therefore referred to as a solvent: a substance capable of dissolving other polar molecules and ionic compounds.
    • Dissociation occurs when atoms or groups of atoms break off from molecules and form ions.
    • Since many biomolecules are either polar or charged, water readily dissolves these hydrophilic compounds.

  • Alcohols

    • Alcohols are functional groups characterized by the presence of an -OH group.
    • Like water, alcohols are polar, containing an unsymmetrical distribution of charge between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms.
    • The presence of the -OH groups allows for hydrogen bonding with other -OH groups, hydrogen atoms, and other molecules.
    • Hydroxyl groups alone are not considered good leaving groups.
    • They can be used as preservatives for specimens in science, and they can be used in industry as reagents and solvents because they display an ability to dissolve both polar and non-polar substances.

  • Charge Distribution in Molecules

    • Such a covalent bond is polar, and will have a dipole (one end is positive and the other end negative).
    • Although there is a small electronegativity difference between carbon and hydrogen, the C–H bond is regarded as weakly polar at best, and hydrocarbons in general are considered to be non-polar compounds.
    • The shift of electron density in a covalent bond toward the more electronegative atom or group can be observed in several ways.
    • Methane is essentially non-acidic, since the C–H bond is nearly non-polar.
    • As noted above, the O–H bond of water is polar, and it is at least 25 powers of ten more acidic than methane.

  • Polarization By Scattering and Reflecting

    • In the previous atom we discussed how polarized lenses work.
    • The reflected light is more horizontally polarized.
    • Just as unpolarized light can be partially polarized by reflecting, it can also be polarized by scattering (also known as Rayleigh scattering; illustrated in ).
    • The light parallel to the original ray has no polarization.
    • The light perpendicular to the original ray is completely polarized.