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.

When you find others also favouring your opinion against the employee, who was caught taking a bribe, you feel that your view is being validated by the public. This phenonmenon is called:

Bandwagon effect

The correct answer is Option (4) → Bandwagon effect

The bandwagon effect describes the tendency for people to adopt certain behaviors, styles, or attitudes simply because others are doing so. In this context, when you find others in your group agreeing with your stance against the employee, you feel your view is validated, making you more confident in it. It's a form of peer pressure or groupthink where the perceived consensus influences an individual's decision.