What is the core idea of the spiral of silence theory about minority opinions?

• A. Individuals always express minority views regardless of social pressure.
• B. Public opinion never changes in response to silence.
• C. Individuals fear isolation and remain silent when their views are unpopular; reduces perceived public opinion diversity.
• D. Silence increases the perceived diversity of public opinion.

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is that people gauge what others think and fear social isolation, so they stay quiet when their views are unpopular. This self-censorship means the majority’s opinion looks more dominant than it actually is, which discourages further dissent and makes the range of public opinion seem narrower. In practice, someone who holds a minority view may remain silent to avoid isolation, and because those voices are silenced, observers perceive less diversity of opinion than there really is.

That’s why this option is the best fit: it captures both the fear of isolation and the resulting silencing, plus the resulting impression that public opinion is more uniform than it may be. The other statements miss crucial parts of the idea: people do not always express minority views under pressure; public opinion can shift as silenced voices disappear from the discourse; and silence does not increase perceived diversity, it tends to hide it.