Abstract
Deliberation is not a black box. In this paper, we look at intrapersonal deliberation, a process different from interpersonal deliberation. In particular, we examine two variables, i.e. knowledge access and reflection, looking at their effects on attitudes, attitude certainty, and willingness to express opinions. A between-subjects 2×2 factorial experimental study (N = 83) shows that both knowledge access and reflection could serve as 'double-edged swords' in deliberation. Knowledge access changed attitudes towards a milder position while reduced willingness to express opinions in public. Meanwhile, reflection increased perceived attitude correctness, which might have a mixed implication for deliberation. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Highlights
Almost two decades have passed since the phrase ‘deliberative turn’ (Dryzek 2000) was coined
We argue that intrapersonal deliberation serves as an information acquisition session, in which accessing knowledge is deemed as the primary activity according to previous studies (Luskin et al 2014; StromerGalley & Muhlberger 2009), and triggers selfreflection (e.g., Fournier et al 2011), which is essential to the idea of deliberative democracy
Results of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated a statistically significant main effect of knowledge on antagonistic attitude (F (1, 73) = 4.66, p = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.06), which suggested that subjects who were exposed to briefing materials showed lower antagonistic attitude toward foreigners than those who did not go through any materials (∆ M = 0.36, SE = 0.17, p = 0.03)
Summary
Almost two decades have passed since the phrase ‘deliberative turn’ (Dryzek 2000) was coined. Many existing studies have applied a simple ‘input-output’ model to examine the effects of deliberation. This model treats deliberation as a ‘black box’ (Stromer-Galley & Muhlberger 2009), which focuses on the deliberation process as a whole and is primarily interested in the outcomes that the whole deliberation process brings about. This approach contributes to the understanding of deliberation’s overall effects on psychological and behavioral outcomes, it fails to clearly differentiate the specific mechanisms in deliberation as well as their corresponding effects. This study tries to decompose intrapersonal deliberation into two components: knowledge access and reflection
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