由于群體極化具有用來分析公眾輿論、群體事件等的理論潛能,因此近年來在新聞傳播領域尤其是網絡傳播領域中應用頗多。然而,就國內相關研究的現狀來看,人們對群體極化的理解還不夠深入,甚而還存在著不少的偏差,這主要體現在三個方面:一,對誰是"群體極化"概念的提出者不清楚,甚至出現了大面積的偏誤;二,對群體極化含義的理解有偏差進而導致研究設計上的失誤;三,常常將群體極化視為非理性的現象或者結果。論文對群體極化的原始文獻進行仔細梳理后,從群體極化概念的形成、群體極化的含義、群體極化是否非理性、群體極化的影響因素等四個層面進行了細致辨析,以期進一步推動群體極化研究的深入發展。

As a concept originated in social psychology,group polarization is used more and more in the field of journalism and communication researches. However, this concept has been misunderstood in many articles. This paper analyzes the concept of group polarization and reviews related studies from the following aspects: who proposed this concept; what connotation it has; whether the phenomenon of group polarization is rational or irrational; and factors influencing the group polarization effect. This paper also discusses its implications for future research.