Online Political Discussion Research Articles

Artificial Intelligence and Media-politics: A Revolution in Communicative Dynamics?

This study aims to delve into communicative interactions within the realm of online politics, with a specific emphasis on the increasingly significant role of artificial intelligence (AI). In an era where digital technologies are radically transforming communication flows, the introduction of AI into political processes opens new prospects, but also presents numerous challenges. The research seeks to understand how these technologies are influencing political language and user engagement strategies, with profound repercussions on social and political dynamics. The methodology employed combines both qualitative and quantitative analysis. On the one hand, a qualitative analysis was conducted on AI-generated content within online political discussions, examining how this content influences political narratives and shape’s public opinion. On the other hand, a quantitative analysis evaluated the dynamics of engagement and interaction across various digital platforms, measuring the impact of AI on user behaviour and information dissemination. The findings of this research reveal that AI is not only transforming the language of politics but also altering the ways individuals participate in public debate. Artificial intelligences not only facilitate new forms of communication but can also influence power dynamics, either reinforcing or destabilizing existing structures. Based on these results, it is essential to balance technological innovation with the protection of democratic processes, ensuring that the use of AI is transparent, ethical, and oriented toward the common good. In conclusion, this contribution highlights the need for public debate and ongoing research on the social and political implications of AI, so that these technologies can positively contribute to the future of democracy.

Penggunaan Tata Bahasa Netizen Dikolom Komentar Instragram Yang Membicarakan Tentang Pemilu 2024

Abstract This study aims to investigate the use of netizen grammar in the Instagram comment section discussing the 2024 Election issue, with a focus on language style, conversational patterns, and their impact on public opinion and the democratic process. Employing a qualitative approach, data for this research were collected through direct observation of netizen comments on Instagram. When netizens engage in communication about political issues like the 2024 Election, the grammar they use plays a crucial role in shaping how messages are conveyed and received. This study highlights several common grammar mistakes that may occur, such as spelling errors, improper punctuation usage, and the use of impolite language. For instance, the use of "hati2" instead of "hati-hati" and inconsistent capitalization in "Pak" when used in a context of respect. Analyzing these grammar errors not only aids in understanding how netizens communicate online but also demonstrates their potential impact on public opinion. For example, grammar mistakes can diminish the quality of the message conveyed and influence how it is perceived by readers. Through specific examples, such as errors in sentences expressing prayers for a candidate, this study illustrates how grammar mistakes can reduce communication effectiveness and lower the quality of online discussions. Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of consistency in using formal language in political contexts. Formal language not only reflects politeness in communication but also strengthens public trust in the messages conveyed. Therefore, by improving understanding and practice of correct grammar, it is hoped that online political discussions can become more productive, meaningful, and constructive. The benefits of this research also extend to identifying grammar errors that can affect perceptions of political figures or issues discussed in the context of the 2024 Election. By gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of political communication on social media, it is also possible to enhance public participation in the democratic process. Overall, this study seeks to provide insights into how netizen grammar in Instagram comment sections can influence interactions and public opinions on sensitive political issues. Thus, this research is relevant not only to academics in linguistics and communication but also to political practitioners and the general public seeking a deeper understanding of social media's role in shaping political perceptions and participation.

Silencing Online Incivility: Examining the Effects of Impoliteness and Intolerance in Online Political Discussions

ABSTRACT Drawing on silencing and online incivility literature, this study examined how people evaluate and respond to impolite and intolerant online opinions in different discussion contexts. Based on a between-subject online survey experiment in the U.S. (N = 959), we found that people perceived impoliteness and intolerance as uncivil, leading to intentions to silence others. The results also revealed that intolerance resulted in higher perceived incivility and silencing intentions compared to impoliteness. Furthermore, the direct effects of impoliteness and intolerance on perceived incivility and their indirect effects on silencing intentions through perceived incivility were stronger in agreeing discussions than in disagreeing ones. However, social endorsement cues did not moderate the mechanisms.

Which Perceived Opinion Climates Influence the Participation in Online Political Discussions?

ABSTRACT Based on the Spiral of Silence theory, we posit that people perceive opinion climates on three different levels: the opinion climate (1) in society, (2) among their friends, and (3) in a specific situation. Based on a three-wave panel survey with two embedded experiments (N = 1,286), we analyze whether these perceived opinion climates influence the participation in online political discussions. Results show that perceptions of the opinion climate in society and among friends do not have an effect. Instead, the perceived situational climate of opinion matters: Individuals in balanced or congruent opinion environments engage more often than those in incongruent environments.

Online and Unkind: Examining the Personality Correlates of Online Political Incivility

Many forms of online political incivility threaten democratic norms, contribute to polarization, and are often directed at women and racial minorities. Recent research shows that online political incivility may come from a minority of users that are just as hostile offline as they are online, meaning that individual differences in personality traits may be an important predictor of online political incivility. Drawing upon a large sample of adults living in Canada (N = 1725), we examined the association between personality traits and online political incivility using robust measures of psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and the general traits of the HEXACO. While controlling for a variety of sociodemographic and political variables, we found that people who score higher in honesty-humility, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, as well as the planfulness facet of Machiavellianism, are less likely to report engagement in online political incivility. People who score higher in extraversion, several facets of psychopathy, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, and antagonistic Machiavellianism, by contrast, are more likely to report engagement in online political incivility. In general, the personality traits that predict offline aggression and antisocial behaviour tend to be the same traits that predict self-reports of vulgarity, stereotyping, and threats in online political discussions. Interventions to reduce online incivility may benefit from considering the dispositional tendencies of uncivil users.

Unpacking the network dynamics of online political discussions: Stochastic actor-oriented modeling with political/sociopsychological/linguistic factors

The underlying mechanisms of online political discussions which may involve power dynamics have seldom been explored through a dynamic network approach, even though discussions themselves are inherently relational and dynamic processes. It remains unclear how discussions are shaped over time between egos/alters with different political/sociopsychological/linguistic attributes as well as by the existing discussion ties surrounding them. Based on a stochastic actor-oriented modeling constructed from pre-survey/virtual discussion/post-survey data, we found some evidence that, in the politically heterogeneous context, shared political ideology, alter’s political tolerance level, and the extent of negative/strong/assertive language used by alter are associated with the likelihood of discussion tie creation/maintenance. In the homogeneous context, the extent to which ego perceives alter as politically knowledgeable and personally likable was clearly associated with ego’s tendency to create or maintain discussion ties with alter over time. This study uncovers alter/dyad-centered variables that are critical, but have been overlooked, for communication research.

Her Lips Are Sealed: Effects of Negative Feedback on Women’s Participation in Online Political Discussions

Her Lips Are Sealed: Effects of Negative Feedback on Women’s Participation in Online Political Discussions

Analisis Hubungan Antara Teknologi dan Politik: Studi Kasus Mengenai Pengaruh Teknik Komunikasi Digital Terhadap Partisipasi Politik

This study aims to analyze the relationship between technology and politics, focusing on the influence of digital communication techniques on political participation. In the digital era, information and communication technology has changed the political landscape significantly. This study uses qualitative and quantitative approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of technology on people's political participation. The methods used in this research are interviews with respondents who are involved in political activities and a survey of a representative population. The collected qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed using content analysis techniques and descriptive statistics. This research also involves case studies to illustrate how digital communication technologies have affected political participation at individual and collective levels. The results of this study are expected to provide a better understanding of how digital communication technology influences people's political participation. In addition, this research is also expected to provide insights on changes in political and communication power structures as a result of the adoption of new technologies. In the ever-evolving digital era, information and communication technology has changed the way we interact, including in the political context. Developments in digital communication technology, such as the internet, social media, and instant messaging applications, have provided easier and faster access to political information and facilitated more active political participation. Therefore, it is important to understand the relationship between technology and politics and its impact on people's political participation. In this context, an analysis of the influence of digital communication techniques on political participation is relevant. Digital communication techniques, such as the use of social media to share political information, participate in online political discussions, and engage in political campaigns through digital platforms, can provide new opportunities for individuals and groups to participate in political activities. However, the effects of using communication technology digital impact on political participation is not always positive.
 Keywords: technology, politics, communication

Can a self-regulation strategy help make social media more civil? Exploring the potential of mental contrasting with implementation intentions to reduce incivility in online political discussion

Civil interaction is a core practice of democratic participation. However, this condition is undermined by a contemporary landscape of online political discourse rife with incivility. Given the seemingly dismal state of American politics, a remedy to this problem is needed. We test the effects of a self-regulation intervention, mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII), on the expression of political incivility in a social media discussion setting. Data from two online experiments show that participants in the MCII condition expressed more civility and selected civil responses in response to uncivil communication cues. Implications are discussed.

Reactance to Uncivil Disagreement?

Abstract: This study extends the psychological reactance theory by demonstrating that online political discussions, without explicit social influence attempts, can arouse psychological reactance by certain message features. Based on a 2 (stance: agreement vs. disagreement) × 2 (tone: civil vs. uncivil) × 2 (social endorsement: low vs. high) between-subjects online experiment in the United States ( N = 418), the present study found that both disagreement and uncivil comments led to psychological reactance directly and indirectly via perceived threat to freedom. Unexpectedly, uncivil disagreement had smaller effects on psychological reactance than civil disagreement. In addition, although social endorsement cues did not show any independent effects on psychological reactance, they were found to exacerbate the direct effect of uncivil disagreement on psychological reactance. Overall, our study develops important theoretical connections between political deliberation and psychological reactance literatures. It also yields practical implications for fostering an inclusive and healthy environment for online political discussion.

Incivility in Online Discussion: An Examination of Impolite and Intolerant Comments

Incivility in online political discussion represents one of the most widely debated issues among scholars. Much research focuses on the incivility disseminated by political elites on social media, paying less attention to the user incivility that spreads as a “bottom-up” reaction to politicians’ posts. To fill this gap, the article focuses on user comments on the Facebook pages of parliamentary candidates in the run-up to the Italian general election of 2018. Distinguishing between intolerant and impolite comments, we observed that the extent of the former in user discussions is limited, and linked to highly sensitive issues and radical right-wing populist communities. This would seem to counter the view that all political debate on social media is inherently toxic and harmful to democratic and deliberative processes. Impoliteness, on the contrary, is adopted by users to express mutual hostility and seems particularly based on feelings of partisanship, so that the issues disappear completely from the discussion and forms of participation “against the other” are activated.

Do Sexist Comments Hinder Participation in Online Political Discussions?

Abstract: Women who visibly engage in politics online experience a lot of backlash. The presented study investigates sexist incivility against women in online political spaces as a possible explanation for the gender gap in online political discussion and expression. Online sexism solidifies the masculine norm in online political spaces. Drawing on social cognitive theory and the theory of normative social behavior, we understand online incivility as communication mechanisms that enforce gender norms in online political discussions. We use a preregistered online survey experiment with German Internet users to investigate how sexist comments in online political discussions affect women’s participation in the discussion, perceived social norms about participating, and their internal political efficacy. We found no effects of sexist comments on the propensity to engage in the discussion or the political efficacy to contribute. However, the presence of sexist comments increased the fear of sanctions in both men and women. The null findings of the preregistered experiment occurred despite sufficient statistical power and a successful treatment check. We discuss several possible explanations for the null effects and ways forward.

Media malaise or mobilization during repeat elections?Evidence from Israel’s three consecutive rounds of elections (2019–2020)

AbstractIn 2019–2020, Israel went through three consecutive elections in less than a year on grounds of alleged corruption by Prime Minister Netanyahu, and his lack of ability to form a coalition. This study aims to contribute to analyses of the media mobilization/malaise effect by examining the impact of such a prolonged period of campaigning on citizens’ political behavior. Thus, we conducted six online surveys using a longitudinal sample of Israeli society before and after each election. The analysis found that, despite participants’ testimonies that they were increasingly “tired of dealing with elections,” there was a significant increase in participants’ reported certainty in their vote, news consumption, participation in online political discussions, and level of political efficacy between the elections. Next, a multivariate analysis aiming to explain variations in voters’ political efficacy found that political trust, participants’ reported certainty about their vote, and political interest all explained high levels of political efficacy. The analysis provides one of the strongest reinforcements to date regarding the validity of political mobilization theory, demonstrating its relevance under challenging conditions. We discuss further implications and generalizability of our findings.

Implementing Campus-level Programming: Pathways for Online Civic Engagement

In a year marked by social unrest and a global pandemic, the 2020 presidential election occurred within a context of polarization and incivility. An American Democracy Project (ADP) campus believed that two ways to offset these complications were teaching students how to maintain norms of civility and helping students gain political knowledge that positioned them to contribute to online political discussions. ADP used Web 2.0 tools, namely social media and a web conferencing platform, to host political civic engagement activities and to promote civil political participation. Written from the perspective of a campus ADP chair, this reflective essay draws upon (in)civility, undergraduate political engagement, and online political discourse bodies of literature to offer suggestions for experimenting with Web 2.0 tools as a way to encourage students’ political civic engagement. In doing so, educators learn techniques for helping students become civil, informed, and engaged citizens in a polarized era.

Palestinian Youth Engagement with Online Political Contents Shared by Citizen Journalists—The Case of Save Sheikh Jarrah

AbstractInitial research on online political activism reveals that new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have increasingly become a growing and supportive space for political participation, which has influenced the conception of political activism. Furthermore, ICTs have become a facilitator for the formation of online political networks and communities. The shocking images of young children killed in the latest genocidal onslaught by Israel against Gaza in 2021 and the clashes that broke out in Sheikh Jarrah and Al Aqsa Mosque dominated the global news and online media platforms. Online political activists, such as Muna El Kurd, who represents the phenomenon of “Citizen Journalism” in Palestine, took to the internet and social media channels to ardently express their discontentment about the unhumanitarian actions and human rights violations being committed. This article aims to map out the Palestinian youth engagement with online political content disseminated by Muna El Kurd' Instagram and Twitter accounts, by employing an empirical approach using a quantitative research method to collect primary data while relying on the literature review to discuss in‐depth online activism and the concept of Citizen Journalism in the Middle East. An online survey, in Arabic language, was conducted following the simple random sampling technique, targeting one hundred college‐educated and technologically advanced Palestinian youth respondents (18–29 years old). The data collected was used to examine and address specific research questions related to what information sources the youth use to acquire political information and to what extent they rely on social media platforms belonging to citizen journalists. The study concluded that Palestinian youth participate in many online activities and rely on social media platforms for information; their interests and knowledge of politics are growing; the surveyed youth in Palestine are highly interested in political matters and are moderate participants in online political discussions.

Explicit civility (Online Discussions/Discussion Quality)

Explicit civility (Online Discussions/Discussion Quality)

Appraising Uncivil Comments in Online Political Discussions: How Do Preceding Incivility and Senders’ Stance Affect the Processing of an Uncivil Comment?

Although the appraisal of online incivility highly depends on the social context in which it occurs, little research has focused on this aspect. Drawing on the general aggression model, we assumed that the appraisal of and the reaction to an uncivil discussion comment is affected by the represented stance and the appearance of accompanying comments. To examine these assumptions, we conducted an online experiment ( N = 611) with a three ( uncivil vs. civil vs. no preceding comments as a control) × two ( opposing vs. conforming recipient’s views) between-subjects design. Data revealed that the influence of preceding comments is limited. However, people were more likely to attribute aggressive motives to senders of incivility when they opposed their opinion. In turn, these attributions increased individuals’ anger, anxiety, hostile cognitions, but also enthusiasm. Furthermore, aggressive motive attributions, participants’ emotions, and hostile cognitions guided participants’ intentions to answer in a discussion-centered and/or aggressive way.

Examining the Role of Online Uncivil Discussion and Ideological Extremity on Illegal Protest

In recent years, there has been an increased academic interest revolving around the beneficial or pernicious effects of ideological extremity and (uncivil) political discussion over democracy. For instance, citizens’ ideological predispositions and higher levels of political discussion have been linked with a more active and vibrant political life. In fact, ideological extremity and uncivil discussion foster institutionalized political engagement. However, less explored in the literature remains whether such polarization and uncivil discussions may be related to unlawful political behavior such as illegal protest. This study contends that one of the main drivers of illegal protest behavior lies in online uncivil political discussion, specifically through the normalization and activation of further incivility. We tested this through a two-wave panel data drawn from a diverse US sample and cross-sectional, lagged, and autoregressive regression models. Mediation analysis was also conducted to test whether uncivil online discussion mediated the relationship between frequency of online political discussion and illegal protest engagement. Overall, we found that illegal protest was particularly associated with online uncivil discussion, while ideological extremity and other forms of online and offline discussions seemed to have no effect on unlawful protest over time.

Quantifying gender biases towards politicians on Reddit.

Despite attempts to increase gender parity in politics, global efforts have struggled to ensure equal female representation. This is likely tied to implicit gender biases against women in authority. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of gender biases that appear in online political discussion. To this end, we collect 10 million comments on Reddit in conversations about male and female politicians, which enables an exhaustive study of automatic gender bias detection. We address not only misogynistic language, but also other manifestations of bias, like benevolent sexism in the form of seemingly positive sentiment and dominance attributed to female politicians, or differences in descriptor attribution. Finally, we conduct a multi-faceted study of gender bias towards politicians investigating both linguistic and extra-linguistic cues. We assess 5 different types of gender bias, evaluating coverage, combinatorial, nominal, sentimental and lexical biases extant in social media language and discourse. Overall, we find that, contrary to previous research, coverage and sentiment biases suggest equal public interest in female politicians. Rather than overt hostile or benevolent sexism, the results of the nominal and lexical analyses suggest this interest is not as professional or respectful as that expressed about male politicians. Female politicians are often named by their first names and are described in relation to their body, clothing, or family; this is a treatment that is not similarly extended to men. On the now banned far-right subreddits, this disparity is greatest, though differences in gender biases still appear in the right and left-leaning subreddits. We release the curated dataset to the public for future studies.

Talking politics: Building and validating data-driven lexica to measure political discussion quality

Social media data offers computational social scientists the opportunity to understand how ordinary citizens engage in political activities, such as expressing their ideological stances and engaging in policy discussions. This study curates and develops discussion quality lexica from the Corpus for the Linguistic Analysis of Political Talk ONline (CLAPTON). Supervised machine learning classifiers to characterize political talk are evaluated for out-of-sample label prediction and generalizability to new contexts. The approach yields data-driven lexica, or dictionaries, that can be applied to measure the constructiveness, justification, relevance, reciprocity, empathy, and incivility of political discussions. In addition, the findings illustrate how the choices made in training such classifiers, such as the heterogeneity of the data, the feature sets used to train classifiers, and the classification approach, affect their generalizability. The article concludes by summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of applying machine learning methods to social media posts and theoretical insights into the quality and structure of online political discussions.