Audience Interaction and Group Polarization in Online Opinion Expression: Emotions as a Mediating Variable

LIAO Shengqing, CHENG Junchao, YU Jianping

Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2023, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (9) : 91-117.

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Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2023, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (9) : 91-117.
Research Articles

Audience Interaction and Group Polarization in Online Opinion Expression: Emotions as a Mediating Variable

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Abstract

With the development of new media technology, constructing a clear space for the expression of online opinions and building a good order of online communication has become an important element in developing a strong network and building a modern governance system. This study is based on an empirical analysis of 43, 088 news items and their 1, 204, 769 related comments posted by People’s Daily on Sina Weibo between January 20 and March 8, 2020, the period of the COVID-19 outbreaks. The study examines the impact of audience interaction on group polarization formed by online news replies as expressions of opinions under the perspective of the spiral of silence theory. It reveals that emotions have an inhibitory mediating role in the relationship between audience interaction and group polarization. The results showed that audience interaction had a significant positive effect on group polarization. The stronger the audience interaction, the more negative the emotional valence and the stronger the emotional arousal. Positive emotional valence and low arousal are more likely to lead to group polarization.

Key words

group polarization / audience interaction / emotion valence / emotion arousal

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LIAO Shengqing , CHENG Junchao , YU Jianping. Audience Interaction and Group Polarization in Online Opinion Expression: Emotions as a Mediating Variable[J]. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2023, 45(9): 91-117

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Open Project of Yunnan Key Laboratory of Media Convergence(120235201)
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