▁pre jud ice , ▁and ▁attitude ▁change , ▁and ▁his ▁purs uit ▁of ▁the ▁connections ▁between ▁individual ▁psych ology ▁and ▁social ▁systems ▁helped ▁to ▁found ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁organiz ational ▁psych ology . ▁Elisabeth ▁No elle - Ne umann , ▁in ▁her ▁spir al ▁of ▁silence ▁theory , ▁argued ▁that ▁media ▁bi ases ▁lead ▁to ▁pl ural istic ▁ignor ance . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁Pl ural istic ▁ignor ance ▁was ▁bl amed ▁for ▁ex ac erb ating ▁support ▁for ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁named ▁a ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁ill us ory ▁popular ▁support ▁that ▁kept ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁power , ▁as ▁many ▁opposed ▁the ▁regime ▁but ▁assumed ▁that ▁others ▁were ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁it . ▁Thus , ▁most ▁people ▁were ▁afraid ▁to ▁voice ▁their ▁opposition . ▁ ▁Another ▁case ▁of ▁pl ural istic ▁ignor ance ▁concerns ▁drink ing ▁on ▁campus ▁in ▁countries ▁where ▁alco hol ▁use ▁is ▁pre val ent ▁at ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities . ▁Stud ents ▁drink ▁at ▁week end ▁parties ▁and ▁sometimes ▁at ▁evening ▁study ▁breaks . ▁Many ▁drink ▁to ▁excess , ▁some ▁on ▁a ▁routine ▁basis . ▁The ▁high ▁visibility ▁of ▁heavy ▁drink ing ▁on ▁campus , ▁combined ▁with ▁rel uct ance ▁by ▁students ▁to ▁show ▁any ▁public ▁signs ▁of ▁concern ▁or ▁disapp ro val , ▁gives ▁rise ▁to ▁pl ural istic ▁ignor ance : ▁Stud ents ▁believe ▁that ▁their ▁pe ers ▁are ▁much ▁more ▁comfortable ▁with ▁this ▁behavior ▁than ▁they