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Multiple Opinion Climates in Online Forums
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2013
Year
Online CommunicationIndividual WillingnessPublic OpinionSocial InfluencePolitical PolarizationSilence FrameworkCommunicationJournalismMultiple Opinion ClimatesComputational Social ScienceSocial MediaMedia EffectsOnline CommunitySocial Medium NewsLanguage StudiesImpoliteness StudiesContent AnalysisMajority InfluenceCommunication EffectsCommunication StudyOpinion CongruencyCommunication ResearchPopular CommunicationPublic Perception StudiesMedia PoliciesSocial ComputingInteractive MarketingMass CommunicationArtsAttitude DynamicPersuasionOpinion Aggregation
Through the Spiral of Silence framework, this study examines the online opinion climate effect on individual willingness to post messages in forums, using a 2 × 2 experiment manipulating website source (mainstream news/ideologically homogeneous activist group) and opinion congruency (minority/majority opinion). Individuals’ willingness to post was affected only by their opinion congruency with those expressed in forums. Analysis revealed instances of individuals “speaking up” as compared to “speaking out.” Other deterrents to willingness to post were also uncovered.