Expression Of Opinion Research Articles

A new mining and decoding framework to predict expression of opinion on social media emoji’s using machine learning models

<span lang="EN-US">This research work proposes a new framework mining and decoding (MindE) to predict the expression of opinion on social media emojis using machine learning (ML) models. Expression of opinion can be predicted with short messages on social media. This study used two groups of ML algorithms, convolutional neural network (CNN) ImageNet and CNN AlexNet classifier, and finally, applied the decision tree classifier to predict the type of expression. A recent dataset was taken from Kaggle, an open-source dataset consisting of 7476 rows of emojis for expression of opinion prediction. Accuracy was computed with a G power of 80%, and the experiment was repeated 20 times using both models. After the introduction of the proposed MindE framework, the performance of an expression of opinion prediction will be analyzed with accuracy level. The CNN ImageNet achieved an impressive 97.32% accuracy, whereas the CNN AlexNet algorithm reached only 85.98%. The independent sample T Test indicated a p-value of 0.001, which is below the significance level of 0.05. This suggests that the performance difference between the two ML algorithms is statistically significant. Consequently, the results strongly support the proposed framework “MindE” to predict the expression of opinion on social media emojis.</span>

Human Values Estimation on Articles by Extracting and Concatenating of Opinion Expressions

Human Values Estimation on Articles by Extracting and Concatenating of Opinion Expressions

Enhancing vocabulary acquisition through Memrise in an English second-language class: Action research at a TVET college

As the basis of a language, vocabulary is important because it promotes dialogue and the expression of individual ideas and opinions, has an impact on reading comprehension, and improves academic achievement. The purpose of this action research was to use the Memrise application to improve the vocabulary of English Level 2 second-language students (ESL) in the TVET (technical and vocational education and training) sector. The study of a first-year cohort of ESL students at Level 2 was selected through purposive sampling and the data were collected using pre- and post-testing, questionnaires and reflective journal entries documenting the teacher’s self-reflection and observations on Memrise usage. Memrise was used in Author One’s classroom during a six-week period. Using Guskey’s (2002) model of teacher change, the research revealed improved, varying degrees of academic achievement among students following the implementation of the application. In addition, the study highlighted these students’ preference for technology-enhanced learning experiences, such as the Memrise application, over traditional text-based approaches. This research not only challenged the teacher– researcher to embrace technology in order to engage in enhanced teaching practices, but also provided the student cohort with an engaging pathway towards vocabulary acquisition, a process that fostered mutual development.

Social Media As An Online Public Sphere: A Study among the First-Time Malay Voters

In a developing democracy like Malaysia, social media is pervasive in its influence on politics and democratic processes, particularly among the youth. Social media promotes the expression of opinions among groups, thereby opening up the realm of the public sphere in a semi-democratic country like Malaysia. Unlike the original conception of the public sphere, social media consists of spaces where citizens belonging to different groups and cultures, speak in different registers or languages, finding meaningful participation. Based on online interviews with 44 first-time voters among the Malay youth group, this article investigates the aspects of the interaction between young voters and the social media “public sphere.” It examines the platforms they use to communicate about politics, how they make sense of politics, and how they interact with other citizens through social media. The findings reveal four prevalent themes. First, young people have a keen interest in accessing political information on social media, albeit passively. Secondly, Twitter and Facebook were found to be the most influential social media channels for first-time voters seeking political information. Thirdly, out of concern about the surveillance practices on social media, private WhatsApp groups have emerged as the primary platform for first-time voters to engage in political discussions and debates. This leads us to the fourth theme, where the stories that feature on WhatsApp and Instagram are gaining prominence as the dominant platform for sharing political information. This trend highlights the potential for the incidental and ephemeral consumption of political content through these platforms. This trend may have significant implications for how political messages are communicated and received on these social media platforms.

STATE POLICY ON THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL INTERESTS OF UKRAINE IN THE INTERNET ENVIRONMENT

The article deals with the problem of protecting Ukraine’s national interests in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The Internet is seen as a space for free expression of opinions, but often turns into a battlefield in the information war. The article analyses the processes of informatisation of society and the increase in the number of Internet users. The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the leading Internet providers and their political position is analysed. Today, Ukraine enjoys great support from leading campaigns in this area, but the aggressor country is heavily funding war propaganda. Attention is drawn to the results of statistics on cyberattacks on state institutions and the public by the Russian Federation. It is emphasised that today state institutions, business and society in Ukraine have united to counteract the negative information influence of Russia. The structure of Ukraine’s national interests, priorities and directions of their protection are defined. Attention is focused on the fact that the Russian Federation attracts teenagers to extremist and radical activities on the Internet. This additionally threatens the national interests of Ukraine. Prevention of extremism is based on raising the legal, political and general culture of citizens, and shaping a positive image of the state. Therefore, it is justified to take effective measures to develop a powerful ideological corpus, a national idea and to adhere to the state’s strategy for European integration. It is important to establish systematic training of specialists in the field of protecting national interests in the Internet space, enhancing the preventive role of the media and institutional support for analytical, educational, propaganda and information work. The author proposes to develop a powerful system of countering manipulations on the Internet, which will include technological developments, methodology, ideological component, legal and educational measures. The author substantiates the necessity of Ukraine’s integration into the global and regional European information space; integration into international information and telecommunication systems and organisations; modernisation and certain changes in the information policy; improvement of legislation on harmonisation of national legislation with international standards; introduction of modern information and communication technologies into public administration processes, etc.

REGULAÇÃO LEGAL DAS REDES SOCIAIS: PROTEÇÃO DE DADOS E LIBERDADE DE EXPRESSÃO

The legal regulation of social networks is a field in constant evolution, which seeks to balance two fundamental pillars in the digital era: data protection and freedom of expression. Social networks manage a huge amount of personal data, which makes the existence of legal frameworks that protect users’ privacy imperative. Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) in Brazil establish strict standards on how platforms must manage personal information. These laws not only allow users to access, correct or delete their data, but also impose sanctions on companies that do not comply with these requirements, ensuring a high level of security and transparency. At the same time, freedom of expression is a fundamental right that must be protected in the digital environment. However, exercising this right on social media often conflicts with the need to moderate content that may be considered offensive, dangerous or even illegal. Platforms implement moderation policies to mitigate the spread of hate speech, misinformation, and other harmful content. This, however, creates significant challenges in relation to censorship and the delimitation of permitted speech, which can affect the free expression of ideas and opinions. The challenge lies in finding an appropriate balance between protecting users’ privacy and data and enabling robust freedom of expression. An excessive focus on data protection can limit users’ ability to express themselves freely, while unrestricted freedom of expression can put individuals’ security and privacy at risk. As social media becomes more deeply integrated into everyday life and becomes a key platform for communication and the exchange of ideas, it is essential that regulations continue to adapt to address these dilemmas in a balanced and fair way. The future of regulation in this field will depend on the ability of legislators and platforms to adapt to rapid technological and social changes. ensuring that both rights are protected effectively and equitably.

When Disagreement Becomes Uncivil on Social Media: The Role of Passive Receiving and Active Expression of Incivility in Influencing Political Polarization

Exposure to cross-cutting viewpoints may not always play the deliberative role it is supposed to. This study uses both panel survey and social media data to examine how disagreement can trigger incivility, including exposure to and expression of incivility, and further elicit emotions and influence polarization. Results from the two-wave panel survey indicate that cross-cutting exposure has a polarizing effect first through promoting exposure to uncivil messages and expression of uncivil opinions, then through negative emotions. Notably, cross-cutting exposure can indirectly reduce polarization by first encouraging expression of uncivil opinions and then eliciting positive emotions, highlighting the importance of active expression. Analysis of data from the Hong Kong-based discussion forum HKDisc demonstrates that cross-cutting exposure is positively related to exposure to uncivil messages, and exposure to and expression of incivility predict polarization regardless of whether positive or negative emotions are detected in the uncivil content. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of cross-cutting exposure and incivility on polarization at the individual and collective levels.

The moderating role of government heuristics in public preferences for redistribution

A theory of rational attitude formation suggests public perceptions that income differences are too large should lead to demands for income redistribution. Public opinion scientists irregularly observe this at best. It is possible that the instruments we use to observe support for income redistribution are ineffective. We suggest at least part of the inconsistently observed linkages are due to unobserved confounding of government heuristics. We hypothesize that government affect provides a heuristic cue for survey respondents to answer questions on their preference for the government engaging in income redistribution. The greater the valence or quantity of reasons for a survey respondent to have negative government affect, the more perceptions of inequality and support for redistribution are decoupled and apparently inconsistent. To test this, we measured government affect at the country-time level using trust, corruption perceptions, and economic performance. We executed tests of moderation using slopes-as-outcomes regressions with ISSP data from 36 countries in 102 country-time points. Given the difficulty in fitting complex theories of society and politics into a limited number of macro-comparative cases, we ran a multiverse analysis of alternatively plausible models. There is a consistent negative moderation effect across models suggesting that our theory of government affect as opinion expression on a survey is worthy of further consideration. The findings also suggest more qualitative cognitive survey interviews to better understand this process.

On the Compatibility of the Democratic Rule of Law and the Self-Regulation of Meta: The Oversight Board as a Guardian of Freedom of Expression

The article examines the role of Meta in relation to the principles of the democratic Rechtsstaat. The perspective focuses on the importance of the human right to freedom of expression in a global network society, where Internet intermediaries, through their self-regulation and content moderation, have a crucial impact on the realisation of freedom of expression and, by extension, on democratic processes. Because of their influence, their self-regulatory systems can be seen as independent systems of norms, governed by fundamentally different principles from those of European nation-states committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law – especially in the context of the European Union. This is of particular importance for public debate and the free expression of opinions, which are fundamental values in democratic societies. Social media both enables and, in some cases, limits the exercise of fundamental and human rights. They also share, or to some extent have even taken over, the institutional role of traditional media in society. The article takes a legal-theoretical approach to the subject matter, as it addresses the role of public debate in the digital environment as part of the legitimacy of the legal order itself. In this respect, the article analyses the relationship between Facebook and the public sphere, which is essential for democracy, and the role of the state in promoting freedom of expression in the online environment. The theoretical framework is based on Kaarlo Tuori's theory of the levels of law and the concept of democratic Rechtsstaat. Against this framework, Facebook/Meta is examined in a European context, which includes both the European Union and Council of Europe law. Most focus is put on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Through this framework, the role and position of the Oversight Board at the interface of human rights implementation and Meta's self-regulation will also be examined. Given the emphasis in the ECtHR's jurisprudence on the positive obligations imposed on the state, the article concludes that a more effective horizontal impact of fundamental and human rights is needed. This is supported by the conclusion that Facebook may not be considered as a well-suited public sphere for democracy.

Personalized, war and peace journalism on Twitter: The Russo-Ukrainian War through the lens of political journalists

This study compares communication patterns of German political journalists with correspondents assigned in covering Russia/Ukraine regarding the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War discourse on Twitter (now X). During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Twitter has been an important platform for (European) politicians, journalists and other stakeholders to share their views on the war. In general, journalists differ largely in terms of Twitter activity and in posting individual contributions. This comparative research delves into the analysis of journalistic communication in 4,460 tweets, focusing on war and peace journalism framing. The study also investigates the personalization characteristics present in these tweets, considering individual-level influences through the hierarchy of influence model. Specifically, the work employs both peace journalism theoretical framework and the hierarchy of influence model to scrutinize the communication strategies of German political journalists and correspondents covering Russia/Ukraine on Twitter amidst the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War discourse. So far, both approaches have not been combined for the analysis of conflict and war communication in social media. We tracked journalistic tweets for five months from September 2022 to February 2023. Our content analysis shows that, within the journalistic contributions, a peace journalism framework dominates. More than three-quarters of the tweets contain an expression of opinion and around one-third evaluations. Personalization characteristics of politicians are present in almost one-quarter of the tweets.

Cross-Cutting Exposure in Online News Comments: The Effects of Group Identification and Uncivil Discourse on Opinion Conformity and Expression

ABSTRACT Drawing upon the social identity model of deindividuation effects, this study investigated the effects of intergroup relations and discursive quality on individuals’ responses to comments that challenge their existing beliefs on news websites. A two-session online experiment with a 2 (group membership: in-group vs. out-group) × 2 (comment tone: civil vs. uncivil) between-subjects factorial design was conducted. The results showed that exposure to counter-attitudinal comments from in-group members, compared to out-group members, led to greater opinion conformity and less expression of disagreement. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between group membership and comment tone on disagreement expression. When counter-attitudinal comments were uncivil, individuals exposed to in-group comments expressed less dissent in their replies than those exposed to out-group comments. This tendency, however, was not significant when the counter-attitudinal comments were expressed in a civil tone.

Support of Educational Associates and Self-Efficacy for Teacher Cooperation

The aim of this research is to determine the differences in the individual components of self-assessed self-efficacy for teachers' cooperation, taking into consideration whether educational associates provide them with adequate support in working with students with disabilities or not. In addition to the calculation of basic statistical parameters, in data processing, multivariate analysis of variance, t-test and discrimination analysis were used to calculate the differences between the observed groups. The obtained results show the presence of statistically significant differences in separate components of self-assessed self-efficacy for cooperation between teachers, taking into consideration whether educational associates provide them with adequate support in working with students with disabilities or not. The differences are evident both on the manifest and latent levels. However, the variables in which teachers who receive support from educational associates show a higher level of self-efficacy for cooperation mostly relate to administrative-organizational support and freedom of expression of opinion, so it is necessary to better conceptualize this cooperation and its components, as well as the factors affecting it. The contribution of this research is twofold. It consists in acquiring results that allow insight into the structure of self-assessed self-efficacy of teachers working in inclusive conditions in the area of one region in Croatia. On the other side, this work contributes to the interpretation of the possible connection between specific components of teacher self-efficacy for cooperation in inclusive conditions with factors that could influence it when it comes to the support of educational associates.

학급풍토가 중학생의 사회쟁점에 대한 의견표명에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to establish a foundation for effective classroom discussions using issues by empirically verifying the effect of class climate on middle school students’ expression of opinions. To this end, a survey was conducted on 337 students enrolled in middle schools in Seoul, and multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between variables. The research yielded the following results: firstly, among the sub-factors of class climate, friction and satisfaction emerged as statistically significant variables. Secondly, personal factors such as academic achievement and knowledge level about issues exhibited a significant positive correlation with learners’ expression of opinion, consistent with prior studies. Encouraging learners’ expression of opinions in classroom discussions is crucial for fostering democracy and revitalizing political participation. The findings of this research can serve as a guide for the smooth operation of discussion classes utilizing issues.

A corpus-based analysis of critical thinking through interactional metadiscourse in pre-service EFL teachers’ writing

Critical writing seeks to enhance university students' ability to think causally and reason effectively, and this improvement should be evident in their language use in the assignments. An example of such language is interactional metadiscourse, the expression of attitudes and opinions in line with the intended audience. In pursuit of these objectives, this study investigated the textual characteristics of critical thinking by examining interactional metadiscourse markers (MDMs) in the critical response papers authored by English Language Teaching (ELT) undergraduate students throughout a semester at a Turkish state university. The findings revealed shifts in the use of interactional MDMs by the end of the semester. While markers for engagement, hedging, and boosting remained prevalent across various tasks, the utilization of self-mentions and attitude markers declined, indicating a transition from the students’ sharing personal opinions and experiences to relying on evidence from research in academic texts to support their arguments. Additionally, the study highlighted the impact of topic selection on how students incorporated metadiscourse markers into their response papers.

Elicitation of expert prior opinion to design the BARJDM trial in juvenile dermatomyositis.

To elicit and quantify expert opinion concerning the relative merits of two treatments for a rare inflammatory disease: Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). The formal expression of expert opinion reported in this paper will be used in a Bayesian analysis of a forthcoming randomised controlled trial known as BARJDM (baricitinib for juvenile dermatomyositis). A Bayesian prior elicitation meeting was convened, following a previously described methodological template. Opinion was sought on the probability that a patient in the BARJDM trial would achieve clinically inactive disease, off glucocorticoids (GC) within a 12-month period with either methotrexate (standard of care); or baricitinib (a Janus kinase inhibitor, JAKi), with GC schedules identical in both arms of the trial. Experts' views were discussed and refined following presentation and further discussion of summated published data regarding efficacy of methotrexate or JAKi for JDM. Ten UK paediatric rheumatology consultants (including one adolescent paediatric rheumatologist) participated in the elicitation meeting. All had expertise in JDM, leading active National Health Service clinics for this disease. Consensus expert prior opinion was that the most likely probability of clinically inactive disease off GC within 12 months was 0.55 on baricitinib and 0.23 on methotrexate, with a greater degree of uncertainty for baricitinib. Experts currently think that baricitinib is superior to MTX for the treatment of JDM, although there is uncertainty around this. BARJDM will therefore integrate randomised trial data with this expert prior opinion to derive a posterior distribution for the relative efficacy of baricitinib compared with MTX.

An Assessment of Social Media Usage Patterns and Influences among Tribal Naga Women of North East India

Social media platforms have been acclaimed as providing immense potential for the empowerment of diverse societal groups regardless of gender, caste, class or race. But studies on women’s online experiences have authenticated the hindrances faced by women in access and engagement in social media discourses. This study aimed to assess the pattern of social media use, influences and hindrances faced by tribal Naga women of North East India in their engagement in social media public platforms. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey of 360 female respondents from the States of Nagaland and Manipur. The results showed that WhatsApp Messaging is the most popular platform (n=338) among Naga women, followed by YouTube (n=298) and Facebook (n=286). About seventy-four per cent (74.55%) of the respondents stated that they access social media several times daily. Using social media for news and information ranked the highest (95.93%) followed by social relationships (92.51%). It was observed that social media exposure and usage has positively increased Naga women’s gender awareness (97.16%) as well as their awareness of political and civic issues (96.15 %). However it has not significantly increased their public opinion expression (20%) on socio-political and civic issues. The main hindrances in engagement on social media discussions were Lack of Knowledge about issues (73.98%), followed by a Lack of Interest (71.13%) and a Lack of Time (62.14%). Based in the findings, despite the hindrances and low level of engagement in social media public discourses, it was concluded that Naga women’s information seeking behaviour being the main motivation behind social media could be a positive indicator for the development of their agency.

The Impact of Local Traditional Media on Local Communities

As a grassroots public opinion position and public opinion expression channel, local traditional media has long played an irreplaceable role in the local community. Through the investigation and analysis of the current situation of local traditional media in several regions of China, this paper discusses their role and influence in publicity, public opinion guidance, and community service. The study found that local traditional media played an active role in improving the quality of life of local people, enhancing community cohesion, and maintaining social stability. However, at the same time, it also faces challenges such as single communication channels, lagging information, and lack of professional talents. Finally, the paper puts forward countermeasures and suggestions for further giving play to the role of local traditional media.

High Involvement Management Practices and Their Impact on Contextual Performance: An Analytical Study in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers

The main objective of this research is to evaluate the integration management at the higher level within the General Secretariat of the Cabinet and identify its role in achieving integration in the work environment through improving relationships between different management levels, facilitating participation and expression of opinions, and enhancing organizational belonging. A statistical approach and SPSS V.25 method were used for data analysis and various measurements. Data was collected from senior managers in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet using 87 distributed questionnaires, with 81 of them collected, resulting in a response rate of 95%. Study results indicate a pattern of integration management practices at the higher level within the General Secretariat, particularly after involving employees in decision-making. These practices contribute to strengthening employees' connection to the organization, enhancing their knowledge and decision-making skills, leading to increased productivity and effectiveness. Furthermore, participation contributes to the implementation of high-level integration management by enabling employees to participate in problem-solving and decision-making, fostering collaboration, coordination, and achieving high employee performance.

Research on the Construction of Teacher Professional Learning. Community in the Web 3.0 Era

China’s teacher education reform has always advocated the establishment of a teacher-professional learning community to promote teacher professional development and school progress. In the Web 3.0 era, the increasingly open, secure, and fair network has created conditions for the teacher professional learning community to conduct data confirmation. However, in China, the phenomenon of a “silent spiral” has emerged in the professional learning community of teachers, that is, the inferior opinions of teachers in the professional learning community turn to “silent”, and the superior opinions shout, which to a certain extent hinders the creation, protection, and sharing of teacher metadata, affects the development of data right confirmation in the field of education, and slows down the pace of teacher education practice. This study mainly focuses on the value of building a Chinese teacher professional learning community in the Web 3.0 era, the specific difficulties and reasons, and how to develop a Chinese teacher professional learning community in the future. This study mainly adopts the method of documentary review and draws on the “spiral of silence” theory, which regards the expression of opinions and the spread of “silence” as a spiral process of social communication, and influences and restricts public opinion by creating an “opinion environment”. It is found that under the background of the Web 3.0 era, there is an information cocoon in the professional learning community of teachers, and teachers are affected by the diversity of information. Teachers fear independence and generally produce a herd mentality. It is easy to ignore the disadvantageous climate in the professional learning community of teachers, resulting in the continuous silence of teachers. In addition, teacher groups tend to be too stressed and unable to resist the opinion environment. Therefore, the research draws the following conclusions, the construction of teacher professional learning community should adhere to positive guidance, cultivate the correct learning concept, and build the core value concept; Strengthen teachers’ group consciousness, establish a common vision, and make teachers have a sense of belonging to the community; Coordinate the “online + offline”, build a learning mechanism, and salvage the silent voice of the group in the professional learning community of teachers; Provide supporting conditions around the key development issues of the community to promote the growth of opinion climate.

Memes During the Times of War in the Publications of the Polish News Website: Functions and Narratives/Memy w czasie wojny w publikacjach polskich serwisów informacyjnych: funkcje i narracje

This paper presents findings from a study examining the role and functioning of crisis-time memes, particularly during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in Polish news websites Rzeczpospolita, Fakt, and WP Wiadomości. It also explores related primary narratives in the context of media tabloidization, and the influence of stylistics and practices from both citizen journalism and social networks. Linguistic, culturological, thematic, and content analyses indicate that strategies of meme usage are influenced by their socio-cultural nature as unique expressions of public opinion (Vox Populi), as well as by the editorial policy of the media and journalists’ intentions. Authors employ memes not only to illustrate themes but also as informational triggers and even sources. Some publications directly or indirectly raise the issue concerning the role of media in simplifying public perception of contemporary problems. In this context, memes can function both as a tool for tabloidization and as a means of formulating and researching complicated themes, such as resistance to propaganda and populism. Quantitative analysis data confirm that Rzeczpospolita media publishes the most memes about the war, despite positioning itself in the segment of qualitative mainstream media and not excessively using memes as illustrations. Conversely, Fakt and WP Wiadomości, which prefer themes of sports and politics, exploit this format intensely. Simultaneously, authors of Rzeczpospolita primarily use verbal descriptions of memes or employ them to achieve various artistic and expressive effects while preserving journalistic factual material and often avoiding information visualization.