What term describes misperceiving the group's norms about risk-taking in sexual behavior?

• A. Pluralistic ignorance
• B. Alcohol myopia
• C. Illusion of invulnerability
• D. Illusion of unanimity

Answer: (A)

Pluralistic ignorance describes misperceiving the group’s norms about risk-taking in sexual behavior. People may privately disapprove of risky sexual behavior, but they wrongly believe that others in the group approve or engage in it, so everyone acts as if the norm is permissive. This creates a false consensus and helps sustain risky behavior because each person is acting on what they think the group expects, not on their own true beliefs.

Alcohol myopia would involve intoxication narrowing attention to immediate cues and promoting risky acts, not misperceived norms. Illusion of invulnerability is the belief that one won’t be harmed, which drives risk-taking for that reason. Illusion of unanimity is the belief that everyone agrees, masking dissent, but it focuses on perceived agreement rather than misread norms about specific behaviors.