▁the ▁false ▁cons ensus ▁effect . ▁In ▁pl ural istic ▁ignor ance , ▁people ▁priv ately ▁dis d ain ▁but ▁public ly ▁support ▁a ▁norm ▁( or ▁a ▁belief ), ▁while ▁the ▁false ▁cons ensus ▁effect ▁causes ▁people ▁to ▁wrong ly ▁assume ▁that ▁most ▁people ▁think ▁like ▁they ▁do , ▁while ▁in ▁reality ▁most ▁people ▁do ▁not ▁think ▁like ▁they ▁do ▁( and ▁express ▁the ▁disag re ement ▁open ly ). ▁For ▁instance , ▁pl ural istic ▁ignor ance ▁may ▁lead ▁a ▁student ▁to ▁drink ▁alco hol ▁excess ively ▁because ▁she ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁everyone ▁else ▁does ▁that , ▁while ▁in ▁reality ▁everyone ▁else ▁also ▁wishes ▁they ▁could ▁avoid ▁b inge ▁drink ing , ▁but ▁no ▁one ▁express es ▁that ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fear ▁of ▁being ▁o stra ci zed . ▁A ▁false ▁cons ensus ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁situation ▁would ▁mean ▁that ▁the ▁student ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁most ▁other ▁people ▁do ▁not ▁enjoy ▁excess ive ▁drink ing , ▁while ▁in ▁fact ▁most ▁other ▁people ▁do ▁enjoy ▁that ▁and ▁open ly ▁express ▁their ▁opinion ▁about ▁it . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁undert aken ▁by ▁Gre ene , ▁House , ▁and ▁Ross ▁used ▁simple ▁circumst ant ial ▁question na ires ▁on ▁Stan ford ▁under grad s ▁to ▁gather ▁information ▁on ▁the ▁false ▁cons ensus ▁effect . ▁They ▁compiled ▁thoughts ▁on ▁the ▁choice ▁they ▁felt ▁people ▁would ▁or ▁should ▁make , ▁considering ▁tra its ▁such ▁as ▁sh yn ess , ▁co oper ativ eness , ▁trust , ▁and ▁advent ur ous ness . ▁Studies ▁found ▁that ▁when