Online Reader Comments as Indicator for Perceived Public Opinion

The emergence of online reader comments over the past years has made opinions of readers more visible to journalists and users of news websites. This article discusses whether online reader comments provide a representative picture of the opinion of news site users and how this affects the perceived public opinion. Findings of an online survey among the users of eight Swiss newspapers indicate that comments are not representative since people who write comments tend to differ from those reading the comments with respect to gender, age, and political orientation. Of special interest is the finding that those writing comments tend to be politically further right than those reading comments and that “rightists” are writing more frequently. However, readers of the comments are not aware of this bias, leading to a systematically distorted perception of public opinion. Different types of regulation are discussed with respect to their acceptance as well as their potential impact on comments.Die weitverbreitete Kommentarfunktion bei Online-Zeitungen hat die Meinung der Leser für die Journalisten und Nutzer einer Webseite sichtbarer gemacht. Dieser Artikel geht deshalb der Frage nach, ob die Kommentare ein repräsentatives Abbild der Lesermeinung liefern können und wie dies die wahrgenommene öffentliche Meinung beeinflusst. Eine Online-Umfrage bei den Nutzern von acht Schweizer Online-Zeitungen zeigt, dass sich die Schreiber von Kommentaren hinsichtlich Geschlecht, Alter und politischer Orientierung signifikant von den Lesern unterscheiden. Auffällig ist dabei insbesondere, dass die Schreiber politisch stärker rechts orientiert sind als die Leser und „Rechte“ häufiger Kommentare schreiben. Diese Verzerrung wird von den Nutzern der Webseiten jedoch nicht wahrgenommen und die in den Kommentaren vertretene Meinung als Indikator für die Meinung der Leser betrachtet. Basierend auf diesen Befunden diskutiert der Beitrag verschiedene Möglichkeiten, Online-Leserkommentare zu regulieren

Get Out of the Nest! Drivers of Social Influence in the #TwitterMigration to Mastodon

The migration of Twitter users to Mastodon following Elon Musk's acquisition presents a unique opportunity to study collective behavior and gain insights into the drivers of coordinated behavior in online media. We analyzed the social network and the public conversations of about 75,000 migrated users and observed that the temporal trace of their migrations is compatible with a phenomenon of social influence, as described by a compartmental epidemic model of information diffusion. Drawing from prior research on behavioral change, we delved into the factors that account for variations across different Twitter communities in the effectiveness of the spreading of the influence to migrate. Communities in which the influence process unfolded more rapidly exhibit lower density of social connections, higher levels of signaled commitment to migrating, and more emphasis on shared identity and exchange of factual knowledge in the community discussion. These factors account collectively for 57% of the variance in the observed data. Our results highlight the joint importance of network structure, commitment, and psycho-linguistic aspects of social interactions in describing grassroots collective action, and contribute to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms driving processes of behavior change of online groups

The Human Dimensions of Aquatic Invasive Species Management in Texas Freshwaters

Effective aquatic invasive species (AIS) management requires resource-users engage in mitigation behaviors that prevent unintentional AIS spread. As such, it is necessary to examine the behaviors users currently engage in, why they chose to do so or not, and how might natural resource managers influence users to engage is necessary behaviors. Informed by theories from social and environmental psychology, this dissertation examines normative social aspects of Texas boaters' AIS mitigation behaviors, i.e., perceived and actual social norms. Chapter II draws on the return potential framework to understand the relationship between boaters injunctive beliefs (beliefs concerning what should be done) and descriptive beliefs (beliefs concerning what is be done). Chapter III employs a quasi-experimental design to examine how different message frames affect boaters' intentions to engage in AIS mitigation behaviors. Chapter IV examines the belief-behavior process by asking how descriptive and injunctive beliefs and aspects of social comparison influence behavior. Collectively, findings from the three studies have implications for practice and theory. For theory, findings have direct implications for the plausibility of theoretical tenets related to normative social influence and the conditions under which normative social beliefs do or do not affect behavior. For practice, findings highlight influential variables that influence a boater's decision to engage in AIS mitigation, providing practitioners with insights to influence or facilitate behaviors that result in desired outcomes

인물의 따뜻함과 유능함을 중심으로

학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 사회과학대학 언론정보학과, 2021.8. 이준웅.What should the health campaign focus on in order to promote health behavior which is stigmatized as "weak" and "incompetent"? This study is designed to investigate what attributes a campaign character should have in order to effectively convey a message that we should seek professional help when struggling with mental health issues. Previous studies tend to focus only on the effects of "testimony of treatment and recovery" obtained from those who experienced mental health problems or on the effect of celebrities' treatment confessions. In the hope of reducing stigma, those used to put up a person, who lives a normal life in spite of mental difficulties, as a speaker for the campaign message. There are few researches that examine what attributes the character should have specifically. This study is based on the idea that it would be possible to offset the stigma effect and bring positive effects to attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control by introducing a character with certain attributes which inspire others to willingly emulate those as a main speaker for the health campaign message. Accepting the findings of the previous studies that social perception of person assessment is largely divided into two attributes, "warmth" and "competence", the study formulated the research hypothesis and questions about the effects on self-stigma, social stigma, attitude, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention, with the two attributes and presentation of descriptive norms for professional help seeking as the experimental variables. For the method of the study, it adopted an experimental design that considered the interaction between the three factors - 2(Presentation of 'competence' information: Yes/No) * 2(Presentation of 'warmth' information: Yes/No) * 2(Presentation of descriptive norms for professional help seeking: Yes/No). 621 college students in their 20s belonging to a survey respondent panel of an online research company participated in the experiment. As a result of the study, (1) with regard to self-stigma, the main effect of experimental treatment 'warmth' was found, and with regard to social stigma, the interaction effect of 'warmth' and 'competence' was found. (2) As for the perceived injunctive norms associated with professional help seeking, the main effect of presentation of warmth, competence, and descriptive norms was found. (3) In case of perceived behavioral control, both the main effect of competence, warmth, and presentation of college students' descriptive norms associated with professional help seeking and the interaction effect between the factors were found not to be significant. (4) As for attitude and behavioral intention, the main effect of experimental treatment 'competence' and 'warmth' was found. The study, also, verified whether vertical identification based on the perception of superiority has a greater effect on professional help seeking-related intention, attitude, perceived behavioral control, self-stigma, and social stigma than horizontal identification based on the perception of similarity. As a result, (5) it was found that horizontal identification had a positive effect only on the intention of professional help seeking, while it didn't have any on the other variables. On the other hand, it indicated that vertical identification had a positive effect on all the variables. Also, path analysis and mediation analysis with bootstrapping were conducted to verify if vertical identification mediates the effect of presentation of norms, warmth, and competence on the variables. (6)As a result of the analysis, it was found that vertical identification mediates the relationship between warmth and professional help seeking-related social stigma, self-stigma, injunctive norms, attitude, and behavioral intention. In addition, it was confirmed that it mediates the relationship between presentation of competence and social stigma, self-stigma, injunctive norms, attitude, and intention. It also was verified that it mediates the relationship between presentation of norms and self-stigma, injunctive norms, attitude, and intention (7)Lastly, it clarified the correlations between the key variables by using a path model, and the difference between the effects of social stigma and self-stigma was confirmed. To be more specific, social stigma associated with professional help seeking didn't have a significant effect on professional help seeking-related perceived behavioral control, attitude, and behavioral intention, while self-stigma had a negative effect directly on all the variables. (8) Self-stigma was found to mediate the relationship between social stigma and professional help seeking-related intention, attitude, perceived behavioral control, college students' perceived injunctive norms.‘나약한 행동’, ‘무능력한 일’ 등으로 낙인이 찍힌 건강행위를 촉진하기 위해 어떻게 건강 캠페인를 해야 할까. 이 연구는 정신적 어려움을 겪을 시 전문적 도움을 추구해야 한다는 메시지를 효과적으로 전달하기 위해 캠페인의 등장인물이 어떤 속성을 갖추면 좋은지 탐구한다. 기존 연구에서는 정신적 문제를 경험한 인물의 ‘치료회복 증언’ 효과만을 살피거나, 유명인의 치료고백 효과를 연구하는 데 치중했다. 낙인을 감소하기 위해서 정신적인 어려움에도 불구하고 일상적인 삶을 순조롭게 영위하는 인물을 캠페인 메시지의 화자로 내세우는 데 초점을 맞추었다. 그러나 구체적으로 인물이 어떤 조건을 갖추어야 하는지에 대해서 천착한 연구는 찾기 힘들다. 이 연구에서는 기꺼이 본받고 싶은 속성을 지닌 인물을 건강 캠페인 메시지의 화자로 내세움으로써 낙인효과를 상쇄할 수 있고, 이를 통해 태도, 사회규범, 지각된 행위통제에도 긍정적인 효과를 유발할 수 있다는 데 착안했다. 인물 평가에 대한 사회적 인식이 ‘따뜻함’과 ‘유능함’이라는 두 차원으로 이루어진다는 선행연구를 수용해서, 이 두 속성과 전문적 도움추구에 대한 기술규범 제시를 실험변수로 삼아 사회적 낙인, 자기낙인, 사회적 규범, 태도, 지각된 행위통제, 그리고 행위의도 등에 미치는 효과에 대한 연구가설과 질문을 설정했다. 연구방법으로 2(유능함 정보 제시 : 유, 무)x2(따뜻함 정보 제시 : 유, 무)x2(전문적 도움추구에 대한 기술규범 제시: 유, 무) 등 총 3요인 간 상호작용을 고려한 실험설계를 채택했다. 온라인 리서치 회사의 응답자 패널에 가입한 20대 대학생 621명이 실험에 참여했다. 연구결과, (1) 자기낙인에 대해서는 따뜻함 실험처치가 미치는 주효과를 발견했고, 사회적 낙인에 대해서는 따뜻함과 유능함의 상호작용 효과를 발견했다. (2) 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 지각된 제재규범과 관련해서는 따뜻함·유능함·기술규범 제시의 주효과를 발견했다. (3) 지각된 행위통제에는 유능함과 따뜻함, 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 대학생 기술규범 제시의 주효과와 요인들 간 상호작용 효과가 모두 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타났다. (4) 태도와 행위의도에 대해서는 유능함과 따뜻함의 실험처치 주효과를 발견했다. 이 연구는 또한 우월성 지각을 바탕으로 한 수직적 동일시가 유사성 지각을 기반으로 한 수평적 동일시보다 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 사회적 낙인, 자기낙인과 사회적 규범, 태도, 지각된 행위통제, 행위의도에 더 큰 영향을 미치는지를 알아보았다. 연구결과, (5) 수평적 동일시는 전문적 도움추구 의도에만 정적인 영향을 미치고 나머지 변수들에는 영향을 미치지 못하는 것으로 확인되었다. 반면 수직적 동일시는 모든 변수에 정적인 영향을 미친다는 것을 발견했다. 또한 따뜻함, 유능함, 규범제시가 변수들에 미치는 영향을 수직적 동일시가 매개하는지를 경로분석과 부트스트래핑을 활용한 매개분석을 통해 확인해 보았다. 분석결과 (6)수직적 동일시는 따뜻함과 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 사회적 낙인, 자기낙인, 제재규범, 태도, 행위의도와의 관계를 매개하는 것으로 확인되었다. 또한 수직적 동일시는 유능함 제시와 사회적 낙인, 자기낙인, 제재규범, 태도, 의도와의 관계를 매개하는 것으로 검증되었다. 또한 수직적 동일시는 규범제시와 자기낙인, 제재규범, 태도, 의도와의 관계를 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. (7)마지막으로 이 연구에서는 사회적 낙인과 자기 낙인 간 효과의 차이를 확인할 수 있었다. 구체적으로 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 사회적 낙인은 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 지각된 행위통제 및 태도와 행동의도에 유의한 효과를 보이지 못했지만, 자기낙인은 모든 변수에 직접적으로 부적인 영향을 미쳤다. (8) 자기낙인은 사회적 낙인과 전문적 도움추구와 관련한 지각된 대학생의 제재규범, 태도, 지각된 행위통제, 의도와의 관계를 모두 매개하는 것으로 나타났다.제 1 장 서론 1 제 1 절 연구배경 및 연구목적 1 제 2장 이론적 배경 3 제 1절 대학생과 전문적 도움추구 3 제 2절 건강행동 이론과 전문적 도움추구 3 1. 사회적 규범과 전문적 도움추구 4 2. 전문적 도움추구 태도 6 3. 지각된 행위 통제 7 4. 전문적 도움추구 의도 8 제 3절 낙인과 전문적 도움추구 9 1. 사회적 낙인 9 2. 자기낙인 11 3. 고정관념의 두 차원과 전문적 도움추구 낙인 12 제 4절 낙인 감소 전략 13 1. 낙인감소전략으로서 직간접 접촉 13 2. 낙인을 반박할 수 있는 역할 모형 제시 13 3. 낙인을 감소시킬 역할모형의 따뜻함과 유능함 14 제 5절 수평적 동일시와 수직적 동일시 15 제 3장 연구문제와 연구가설 17 제 1절 따뜻함, 유능함, 규범제시가 전문적 도움추구에 미치는 영향 17 제 2절 수평적 동일시와 수직적 동일시가 전문적 도움추구에 미치는 효과 18 제 3절 전문적 도움추구 의도 모형의 경로분석 19 제 4 장 연구방법 22 제 1절 실험개요 22 제 2절 주요변수의 정의와 측정 27 제 5장 연구결과 29 제 1절 조작화 검증 29 제 2절 주요변수의 기술통계 29 제 3절 주요변수의 상관관계 30 제 4절 사전 동질성 검증 32 제 5절 연구문제 및 가설검증 33 1. 따뜻함, 유능함, 기술규범 제시에 따른 전문적 도움추구 관련 변수의 차이 33 2. 수평적 동일시와 수직적 동일시가 전문적 도움추구 관련 변수에 미치는 영향 36 3. 수직적 동일시, 사회적 낙인, 자기낙인의 매개효과 검증 39 제 6장 결론 및 논의 41 제 1절 연구결과의 요약 및 논의 41 제 2절 연구결과의 이론적 의의 44 제 3절 연구의 제한점과 후속연구를 위한 제언 45 참고문헌 45 부록 58 Abstract 66석

Kommunikationspolitik für die digitale Gesellschaft

Die fortschreitende Digitalisierung der Gesellschaft stellt die nationale und internationale Kommunikationspolitik und Medienregulierung vor eine Fülle neuer Herausforderungen: Themen wie Internetkriminalität, Daten- und Jugendschutz oder Urheber- und Leistungsschutzrecht stehen insbesondere in Europa und den USA weit oben auf der politischen und medialen Agenda. In diesem Sammelband werden die bisherigen und aktuellen Entwicklungen in diesem Politikfeld mit empirischen und theoretischen Analysen konfrontiert und der netzpolitische Diskurs so um kommunikations- und politikwissenschaftliche Perspektiven ergänzt. Im Fokus der elf Beiträge stehen dabei ganz grundsätzliche Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung für die Kommunikationspolitik, die von der Politik aus der Digitalisierung gezogenen kommunikationspolitischen Konsequenzen sowie der gesellschaftliche Diskurs über die politischen Antworten auf den digitalen Medienwandel

Mediennutzung im sozialen Kontext : soziale Netzwerkanalyse der Funktionen und Effekte interpersonaler Kommunikation über massenmediale Inhalte

Die Mehrheit der empirischen Forschung zu Mediennutzung und Medienwirkung ist theoretisch wie methodisch auf einzelne Rezipienten als Untersuchungseinheit fokussiert. Dabei bleibt oftmals unbeachtet, dass Medienhandlungen in einem sozialen, sachlichen, wie auch zeitlichen Kontext erfolgen. In dieser Arbeit zur „Mediennutzung im sozialen Kontext“ wird argumentiert, dass die interpersonale Kommunikation über massenmediale Inhalte eine explizite Manifestation dieser Kontextualität ist und deshalb einer theoretischen wie auch methodologischen Integration in die publizistikwissenschaftliche Forschung bedarf. Auf der Basis zahlreicher Theorien und Forschungsstränge aus Medienwissenschaft, Sozialpsychologie und Soziologie wird eine integrative Systematik von fünf Funktionen der interpersonalen Kommunikation über massenmediale Inhalte entwickelt. Der empirische Teil der Arbeit basiert auf einem umfassenden Paneldesign. 895 Jugendliche im Alter zwischen 13 und 16 Jahren wurden im Verlauf eines Jahres fünf Mal zu ihrer Mediennutzung und ihrem sozialen Netzwerk befragt. Dieses Untersuchungsdesign erlaubt zum einen eine große Fülle deskriptiver Befunde bzgl. Motiven und Charakteristiken der interpersonalen Kommunikation über massenmediale Inhalte. Zum anderen können mittels der Methode der akteursorientierten Modellierung erstmals dynamische Prozesse der Mediennutzung im sozialen Kontext detailliert untersucht und dabei Selektions- und Beeinflussungsprozesse unterschieden werden. Most empirical research on media use and media effects is theoretically and methodologically focused on individual recipients as units of analysis. However, media use is always embedded in a social, temporal, and substantial context. This book on “Media Use in Social Contexts” argues that interpersonal communication about mass-media content is an explicit manifestation of this contextuality. Hence, interpersonal communication ought to be integrated theoretically and methodologically in mass communication research. Based on a plurality of theories and research traditions from communication research, social psychology, and sociology, an integrative framework of five distinct functions of interpersonal communication about mass-media topics is proposed. The empirical part of the book reports the finding of a large-scale panel survey. During the period of one year, 895 adolescents between 13 and 16 years old were interviewed five times regarding their mass- media use and their social network. This research design provides, on the one hand, a myriad of descriptive findings regarding motives and characteristics of interpersonal communication about mass- media content. On the other hand, it provides for the first time the opportunity to analyze dynamic processes of mass media use in its social context. Additionally, actor-oriented modeling allows to distinguish between selection and influence processes