Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:-

Just as individuals compare themselves with others in terms of similarities and differences with respect to what they have and what others have, individuals also compare the group they belong to with groups of which they are not a member. It has been found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals alone. Suppose there is an employee who has been caught taking a bribe or engaging in some other unethical act. His/her colleagues are asked to decide what punishment he/she should be given. They may let him/her go scot-free or decide to terminate his/her services instead of imposing a punishment which may commensurate with the unethical act he/she had engaged in. Whatever the initial position in the group, this position becomes much stronger as a result of discussions and interaction in the group.

The strengthening of the group's initial position as a result of group discussion and interaction is referred to as:

Group polarisation

The correct answer is Option (1) → Group polarisation

Group polarization is a psychological phenomenon where the attitude of a group toward a particular issue becomes more extreme after a discussion. For example, if a group of people is moderately in favor of an idea, after discussing it, they will likely become strongly in favor of it. Similarly, a group that is moderately against an idea will become even more opposed to it. This occurs because group members reinforce each other's opinions, leading to a more extreme and unified position than any individual member held initially.