Group Dynamics and Conformity in Decision Making

In a recent psychology class, students were discussing the influence of group dynamics on individual behavior. They considered an experiment where participants were asked to estimate the number of jellybeans in a jar. When alone, participants provided varied estimates. However, when they were in groups and allowed to discuss their estimates, they converged on much closer numbers, even if some were inaccurate. This phenomenon led the students to explore concepts like conformity and groupthink.

Given this context, which of the following concepts primarily explains why individuals in the group discussion ended up with similar estimates despite differing initial perceptions?