Collective Dynamics of the Spiral of Silence: The Role of Ego-Network Size
Authored by Dongyoung Sohn, Nick Geidner
Date Published: 2016
DOI: 10.1093/ijpor/edv005
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Mathematical description
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Abstract
The spiral of silence persists as a major explanatory mechanism in
public opinion research, linking individuals' perception of the opinion
climate and their likelihood of speaking out. However, how locally
expressed opinions (or, remaining silent) translate into global opinion
distributions and the conditions affecting such generative processes
have rarely been examined. Using agent-based modeling, this study
attempts to explore a boundary condition affecting opinion dynamics-the
distributions of individuals' communication network size, which is
affected by the widespread use of social media. The results suggest that
the spiraling phenomenon on a global scale becomes more likely when
enough people exist between those who have different perceptions of the
opinion distribution, keeping the population from being polarized.
Tags
Climate
selection
computer-mediated communication
Attitude
Expression
Consequences
Perception
Public-opinion
Agreement
Social impact