Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification
Computer mediated communication has marked differences from the face-to-face context. One major difference is that, in the online context, we often have explicit access to others' opinions and these opinions are often the only informational cues available. We investigate if awareness of opinion...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002669 |
| _version_ | 1798046454334357504 |
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| author | Caoimhe O'Reilly Paul J. Maher Adrian Lüders Michael Quayle |
| author_facet | Caoimhe O'Reilly Paul J. Maher Adrian Lüders Michael Quayle |
| author_sort | Caoimhe O'Reilly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Computer mediated communication has marked differences from the face-to-face context. One major difference is that, in the online context, we often have explicit access to others' opinions and these opinions are often the only informational cues available. We investigate if awareness of opinion congruence, in the absence of any other reference categories, may be sufficient to foster social identification. In a pre-registered experiment (N = 681), we manipulated exposure to opinions, and measured levels of ingroup identification, opinion-based identification and their social influence on activism intentions. Our results demonstrate exposure to others' opinions in an otherwise anonymous context fosters ingroup and opinion-based identification. There was no effect on opinion-based group activism intentions. We conclude that computer mediated contexts have consequences for identification – opinion (in)congruence is becoming more relevant as a source of social categorization. While we did not find this identification had a social influence on activism, we discuss avenues for future research to disentangle the features of opinion-based groups necessary to foster activism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:37:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45e1b50e00e7430cbe4ad7fe9e8e5cd1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:37:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-45e1b50e00e7430cbe4ad7fe9e8e5cd12022-12-22T03:56:53ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182022-10-01230103751Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identificationCaoimhe O'Reilly0Paul J. Maher1Adrian Lüders2Michael Quayle3Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Ireland; Corresponding author.Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Castletroy, IrelandDepartment of Psychology, University of Limerick, Castletroy, IrelandDepartment of Psychology, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Ireland; Department of Psychology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaComputer mediated communication has marked differences from the face-to-face context. One major difference is that, in the online context, we often have explicit access to others' opinions and these opinions are often the only informational cues available. We investigate if awareness of opinion congruence, in the absence of any other reference categories, may be sufficient to foster social identification. In a pre-registered experiment (N = 681), we manipulated exposure to opinions, and measured levels of ingroup identification, opinion-based identification and their social influence on activism intentions. Our results demonstrate exposure to others' opinions in an otherwise anonymous context fosters ingroup and opinion-based identification. There was no effect on opinion-based group activism intentions. We conclude that computer mediated contexts have consequences for identification – opinion (in)congruence is becoming more relevant as a source of social categorization. While we did not find this identification had a social influence on activism, we discuss avenues for future research to disentangle the features of opinion-based groups necessary to foster activism.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002669Opinion based groupsSocial identity theoryIdentificationComputer mediated communicationOnline opinion sharing |
| spellingShingle | Caoimhe O'Reilly Paul J. Maher Adrian Lüders Michael Quayle Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification Acta Psychologica Opinion based groups Social identity theory Identification Computer mediated communication Online opinion sharing |
| title | Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification |
| title_full | Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification |
| title_fullStr | Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification |
| title_short | Sharing is caring: How sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification |
| title_sort | sharing is caring how sharing opinions online can connect people into groups and foster identification |
| topic | Opinion based groups Social identity theory Identification Computer mediated communication Online opinion sharing |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002669 |
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