An inquiry into the mathematical form of the relationship between majority group size and the probability of following the majority

Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide more insight on the social influence effect of majority group size on the probability of following the majority, by looking at the mathematical form of this relationship. This was done by an analysis of experimental data showing the inclination towards choosing one out of two binary options in an anonymous decision-making situation. The results showed that the probability of following the majority depended on the absolute size of the majority group. The mathematical form that showed to be significant was a concave function, instead of a linear function. This indicated that the social influence of the majority group initially increases when this group becomes bigger, but tends to have a smaller effect when the group continues to increase in size.