Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data
IntroductionPublic attitudes toward consensual same-sex relations are crucial to lesbians’ and gay men’s rights and society’s well-being, but research addressing this topic in China is limited. We comprehensively explored the current status and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward individuals...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1069589/full |
| _version_ | 1797937910162391040 |
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| author | Quan Zheng Quan Zheng Ying Guo Zhen Wang Frank Andrasik Ziyi Kuang Ziyi Kuang Sheng Xu Sheng Xu Xiangen Hu Xiangen Hu Xiangen Hu |
| author_facet | Quan Zheng Quan Zheng Ying Guo Zhen Wang Frank Andrasik Ziyi Kuang Ziyi Kuang Sheng Xu Sheng Xu Xiangen Hu Xiangen Hu Xiangen Hu |
| author_sort | Quan Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPublic attitudes toward consensual same-sex relations are crucial to lesbians’ and gay men’s rights and society’s well-being, but research addressing this topic in China is limited. We comprehensively explored the current status and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward individuals who are lesbian or gay (IWLG) at the provincial level in the Chinese mainland.MethodsNatural language processing and machine learning techniques were incorporated to analyze 1,934,008 Weibo posts from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2020, to evaluate Weibo users’ expressed attitudes toward IWLG in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland guided by the ABC Model of attitude.ResultsAlthough the general attitudes, feelings, and support for the rights of Weibo users toward IWLG among different provinces were relatively positive, knowledge about IWLG was noticeably inaccurate. Economic development and educational level positively predicted certain aspects of attitudes at the provincial level.ConclusionWeibo users from different provinces are generally supportive and accepting of people who are gay and the rights of the gay community. However, considerable misconceptions and inaccurate knowledge of IWLG surfaced in Weibo users’ posts. Economic development and educational level were important predictors of specific attitudes toward IWLG at the provincial level. Increased efforts to address the unbalanced and insufficient development between different provinces could help reduce the public’s prejudice, stigma, and discrimination toward IWLG. Policies that facilitate greater implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education sequentially and effectively are suggested as well. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T18:51:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8afe3fe2b597492a9b48e9a19e39841e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T18:51:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8afe3fe2b597492a9b48e9a19e39841e2023-02-01T07:07:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-02-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.10695891069589Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel dataQuan Zheng0Quan Zheng1Ying Guo2Zhen Wang3Frank Andrasik4Ziyi Kuang5Ziyi Kuang6Sheng Xu7Sheng Xu8Xiangen Hu9Xiangen Hu10Xiangen Hu11School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United StatesSchool of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United StatesIntroductionPublic attitudes toward consensual same-sex relations are crucial to lesbians’ and gay men’s rights and society’s well-being, but research addressing this topic in China is limited. We comprehensively explored the current status and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward individuals who are lesbian or gay (IWLG) at the provincial level in the Chinese mainland.MethodsNatural language processing and machine learning techniques were incorporated to analyze 1,934,008 Weibo posts from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2020, to evaluate Weibo users’ expressed attitudes toward IWLG in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland guided by the ABC Model of attitude.ResultsAlthough the general attitudes, feelings, and support for the rights of Weibo users toward IWLG among different provinces were relatively positive, knowledge about IWLG was noticeably inaccurate. Economic development and educational level positively predicted certain aspects of attitudes at the provincial level.ConclusionWeibo users from different provinces are generally supportive and accepting of people who are gay and the rights of the gay community. However, considerable misconceptions and inaccurate knowledge of IWLG surfaced in Weibo users’ posts. Economic development and educational level were important predictors of specific attitudes toward IWLG at the provincial level. Increased efforts to address the unbalanced and insufficient development between different provinces could help reduce the public’s prejudice, stigma, and discrimination toward IWLG. Policies that facilitate greater implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education sequentially and effectively are suggested as well.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1069589/fullconsensual same-sex relationsattitudelesbians and gay menChinese mainlandWeibosocial media |
| spellingShingle | Quan Zheng Quan Zheng Ying Guo Zhen Wang Frank Andrasik Ziyi Kuang Ziyi Kuang Sheng Xu Sheng Xu Xiangen Hu Xiangen Hu Xiangen Hu Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data Frontiers in Psychology consensual same-sex relations attitude lesbians and gay men Chinese mainland social media |
| title | Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data |
| title_full | Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data |
| title_fullStr | Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data |
| title_short | Status quo and predictors of Weibo users’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the Chinese mainland: Analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data |
| title_sort | status quo and predictors of weibo users attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in 31 provinces in the chinese mainland analysis based on supervised machine learning and provincial panel data |
| topic | consensual same-sex relations attitude lesbians and gay men Chinese mainland social media |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1069589/full |
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