The influence of group membership on online expressions and polarization on a discussion platform: An experimental study

Nick Wuestenenk; Frank van Tubergen; Tobias H. Stark

doi:10.1177/14614448231172966

The influence of group membership on online expressions and polarization on a discussion platform: An experimental study

Nick Wuestenenk^*, Frank van Tubergen, Tobias H. Stark

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Despite much attention for group polarization in online environments, little is known about how group membership affects online behavior. We designed an online platform where ethnic minority and majority users in the Netherlands participated in discussions about controversial topics (homosexuality and abortion). Participants were randomly assigned to either progressive, conservative, or mixed discussions on these topics, which were ostensibly held among ethnic minority or majority users. We find that when ethnic minority users are exposed to discussions among the ethnic majority (i.e., outgroup) with which they disagree, they are less likely to express their opinions and more likely to deviate from their personal opinions. Among ethnic majority users, we find the opposite: when confronted with a discussion among the ethnic minority with which they disagree, they are more likely to voice their opinion and less likely to deviate from their personal opinions. This shows that group membership can affect online polarization.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	225-245
Number of pages	21
Journal	New Media and Society
Volume	27
Issue number	1
Early online date	27 May 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231172966
Publication status	Published - Jan 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study is part of the research program Sustainable Cooperation – Roadmaps to Resilient Societies (SCOOP). The authors are grateful to the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) for generously funding this research in the context of its 2017 Gravitation Program (grant number 024.003.025).

Funders	Funder number
Ministerie van onderwijs, cultuur en wetenschap	024.003.025
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Keywords

Ethnic diversity
group norms
online polarization
social influence
social media
Spiral of Silence

Access to Document

10.1177/14614448231172966Licence: CC BY

wuestenenk-et-al-2023-the-influence-of-group-membership-on-online-expressions-and-polarization-on-a-discussion-platformFinal published version, 782 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{94d80e22e9494ed1ba49ee04c345d075,

title = "The influence of group membership on online expressions and polarization on a discussion platform: An experimental study",

abstract = "Despite much attention for group polarization in online environments, little is known about how group membership affects online behavior. We designed an online platform where ethnic minority and majority users in the Netherlands participated in discussions about controversial topics (homosexuality and abortion). Participants were randomly assigned to either progressive, conservative, or mixed discussions on these topics, which were ostensibly held among ethnic minority or majority users. We find that when ethnic minority users are exposed to discussions among the ethnic majority (i.e., outgroup) with which they disagree, they are less likely to express their opinions and more likely to deviate from their personal opinions. Among ethnic majority users, we find the opposite: when confronted with a discussion among the ethnic minority with which they disagree, they are more likely to voice their opinion and less likely to deviate from their personal opinions. This shows that group membership can affect online polarization.",

keywords = "Ethnic diversity, group norms, online polarization, social influence, social media, Spiral of Silence",

author = "Nick Wuestenenk and {van Tubergen}, Frank and Stark, {Tobias H.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2023.",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1177/14614448231172966",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "225--245",

journal = "New Media and Society",

issn = "1461-4448",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The influence of group membership on online expressions and polarization on a discussion platform

T2 - An experimental study

AU - Wuestenenk, Nick

AU - van Tubergen, Frank

AU - Stark, Tobias H.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - Despite much attention for group polarization in online environments, little is known about how group membership affects online behavior. We designed an online platform where ethnic minority and majority users in the Netherlands participated in discussions about controversial topics (homosexuality and abortion). Participants were randomly assigned to either progressive, conservative, or mixed discussions on these topics, which were ostensibly held among ethnic minority or majority users. We find that when ethnic minority users are exposed to discussions among the ethnic majority (i.e., outgroup) with which they disagree, they are less likely to express their opinions and more likely to deviate from their personal opinions. Among ethnic majority users, we find the opposite: when confronted with a discussion among the ethnic minority with which they disagree, they are more likely to voice their opinion and less likely to deviate from their personal opinions. This shows that group membership can affect online polarization.

AB - Despite much attention for group polarization in online environments, little is known about how group membership affects online behavior. We designed an online platform where ethnic minority and majority users in the Netherlands participated in discussions about controversial topics (homosexuality and abortion). Participants were randomly assigned to either progressive, conservative, or mixed discussions on these topics, which were ostensibly held among ethnic minority or majority users. We find that when ethnic minority users are exposed to discussions among the ethnic majority (i.e., outgroup) with which they disagree, they are less likely to express their opinions and more likely to deviate from their personal opinions. Among ethnic majority users, we find the opposite: when confronted with a discussion among the ethnic minority with which they disagree, they are more likely to voice their opinion and less likely to deviate from their personal opinions. This shows that group membership can affect online polarization.

KW - Ethnic diversity

KW - group norms

KW - online polarization

KW - social influence

KW - social media

KW - Spiral of Silence

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163030459&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/14614448231172966

DO - 10.1177/14614448231172966

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85163030459

SN - 1461-4448

VL - 27

SP - 225

EP - 245

JO - New Media and Society

JF - New Media and Society

IS - 1

ER -

The influence of group membership on online expressions and polarization on a discussion platform: An experimental study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this