How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data
Social media platforms are often accused of disproportionally exposing their users to like-minded opinions, thereby fueling political polarization. However, empirical evidence of this causal relationship is inconsistent at best. One reason could be that many previous studies were unable to separate...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Computers in Human Behavior Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958823000763 |
| _version_ | 1797401665426423808 |
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| author | Ole Kelm Tim Neumann Maike Behrendt Markus Brenneis Katharina Gerl Stefan Marschall Florian Meißner Stefan Harmeling Gerhard Vowe Marc Ziegele |
| author_facet | Ole Kelm Tim Neumann Maike Behrendt Markus Brenneis Katharina Gerl Stefan Marschall Florian Meißner Stefan Harmeling Gerhard Vowe Marc Ziegele |
| author_sort | Ole Kelm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Social media platforms are often accused of disproportionally exposing their users to like-minded opinions, thereby fueling political polarization. However, empirical evidence of this causal relationship is inconsistent at best. One reason could be that many previous studies were unable to separate the effects caused by individual exposure to like-minded content from the effects caused by the algorithms themselves. This study presents results from two quasi-experiments in which participants were exposed either to algorithmically selected or randomly selected arguments that were either in line or in contrast with their attitudes on two different topics. The results reveal that exposure to like-minded arguments increased participants’ attitude polarization and affective polarization more intensely than exposure to opposing arguments. Yet, contrary to popular expectations, these effects were not amplified by algorithmic selection. Still, for one topic, exposure to algorithmically selected arguments led to slightly stronger attitude polarization than randomly selected arguments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:13:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-15425f7f8b8b46ebb0941ac2e7af2750 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2451-9588 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:13:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computers in Human Behavior Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-15425f7f8b8b46ebb0941ac2e7af27502023-12-07T05:29:48ZengElsevierComputers in Human Behavior Reports2451-95882023-12-0112100343How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel dataOle Kelm0Tim Neumann1Maike Behrendt2Markus Brenneis3Katharina Gerl4Stefan Marschall5Florian Meißner6Stefan Harmeling7Gerhard Vowe8Marc Ziegele9Institute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, Germany; Corresponding author. Institute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.Institute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, GermanyInstitute of Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, GermanyInstitute of Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, GermanyInstitute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, GermanyInstitute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, GermanyMacromedia University of Applied Science, Richmodstraße 10, 50667, Cologne, GermanyFaculty of Computer Science, TU Dortmund University, August-Schmidt-Straße 1, 44227, Dortmund, GermanyInstitute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Ethical, Legal & Social Issues, Center for Advanced Internet Studies, Universitätsstraße 104, 44799, Bochum, GermanyInstitute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, GermanySocial media platforms are often accused of disproportionally exposing their users to like-minded opinions, thereby fueling political polarization. However, empirical evidence of this causal relationship is inconsistent at best. One reason could be that many previous studies were unable to separate the effects caused by individual exposure to like-minded content from the effects caused by the algorithms themselves. This study presents results from two quasi-experiments in which participants were exposed either to algorithmically selected or randomly selected arguments that were either in line or in contrast with their attitudes on two different topics. The results reveal that exposure to like-minded arguments increased participants’ attitude polarization and affective polarization more intensely than exposure to opposing arguments. Yet, contrary to popular expectations, these effects were not amplified by algorithmic selection. Still, for one topic, exposure to algorithmically selected arguments led to slightly stronger attitude polarization than randomly selected arguments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958823000763AlgorithmsPolarizationOnline experimentsFilter bubblePanel dataGermany |
| spellingShingle | Ole Kelm Tim Neumann Maike Behrendt Markus Brenneis Katharina Gerl Stefan Marschall Florian Meißner Stefan Harmeling Gerhard Vowe Marc Ziegele How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data Computers in Human Behavior Reports Algorithms Polarization Online experiments Filter bubble Panel data Germany |
| title | How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data |
| title_full | How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data |
| title_fullStr | How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data |
| title_full_unstemmed | How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data |
| title_short | How algorithmically curated online environments influence users’ political polarization: Results from two experiments with panel data |
| title_sort | how algorithmically curated online environments influence users political polarization results from two experiments with panel data |
| topic | Algorithms Polarization Online experiments Filter bubble Panel data Germany |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958823000763 |
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