The spiral of silence is a political science and mass communication theory propounded by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. According to this theory, a person is less likely to voice an opinion on a topic if one feels that one is in the minority for fear of reprisal or isolation from the majority. Niccolò Machiavelli, ca 1500, became the key figure in realistic political theory, crucial to political science Political science is an academic and research discipline that deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... Mass Communication is the term used to describe the academic study of various means by which individuals and entities can relay information to large segments of the population all at once through mass media. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has less... A majority is a subset of a group that is more than half of the entire group. ...

The media play a large part in determining what the dominant opinion is, since our direct observation is limited to a small percentage of the population. As the media's coverage of the majority opinion becomes the status quo, the minority becomes less likely to speak out. Conversely, as one feels one's position gaining popularity, one becomes more and more likely to speak about it.

The theory assumes that people are constantly assessing the public's opinion and that they use the media to do so. It also assumes that we have an inherent fear of isolation and know what opinions will bring on isolation by the majority. The theory explains a vocal minority by stating that there are always a few with less fear of isolation, calling them the challengers of public opinion. It further states that this minority is a necessary factor of change as well as the compliant majority is a necessary factor of stability, and thus both a product of evolution.

The name is inspired in the spiral of violence.

See also

freak, dissident, dissenter, outcast This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A dissidvzdzffdsent, broadly defined, is a person who actively opposes an established opinion, policy, or structure. ... The term dissenter (from the Latin dissentire, to disagree), labels one who dissents or disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. ... Outcast is an action-adventure computer game by French developer Appeal, released in 1999 by publisher Infogrames. ...