Who suffers pluralistic ignorance of conflict avoidance among Japanese? Individual differences in the value of social harmony

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine individual differences in the susceptibility to pluralistic ignorance of avoidance among Japanese by measuring the value of social harmony.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of a concern for social harmony on pluralistic ignorance of conflict avoidance among Japanese, hypothesizing that the pluralistic ignorance of avoidance will occur more frequently among those with a low regard for the value of social harmony than those with a high regard.

Findings

Consistent with the hypothesis, pluralistic ignorance occurred only among Japanese participants with a low regard for the value of social harmony and not among those who valued it highly.

Originality/value

These findings suggest that those who have a different stance from the cultural value feel a normative pressure by the biased perception of others' behavior due to pluralistic ignorance, which, as a result, works to preserve the predominant cultural value.

Citation

Saito, T. and Ohbuchi, K. (2013), "Who suffers pluralistic ignorance of conflict avoidance among Japanese? Individual differences in the value of social harmony", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 112-125. https://doi.org/10.1108/10444061311316753