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Diplomacy online: A case of mistaking broadcasting for dialogue
Roos,Carla Anne Utz,Sonja Koudenburg,Namkje Postmes,Tom
Roos,Carla Anne
Utz,Sonja
Koudenburg,Namkje
Postmes,Tom
Abstract
Online discussions can fuel perceptions of misalignment, disagreement, conflict or even polarization. In this study, we look at everyday diplomatic expressions that could buffer this. We use automated and manual coding to analyze diplomatic behaviour in online discussions and its consequences for discussion sentiment. We analyze Reddit forums with differing norms: civil (N = 4594 comments), incivil (N = 2126) and social support subreddits (N = 1401). The automated content analysis shows that diplomatic behaviour occurs but does not affect the subsequent discussion. The manual analysis reveals why: discussions consist of disjointed statements rather than dialogue, making diplomacy inconsequential. These results have consequences for the field. First, what appears to be an escalating dialogue might actually be a string of personal attitudes broadcasted in a shared space. Second, the usefulness of automated content analysis in studying interaction dynamics is limited because of difficulties distinguishing broadcasting from dialogue.
Description
Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date
2024-02
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Research Projects
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Keywords
automated content analysis, broadcasting, dialogue, diplomacy, manual analysis, online discussion, online polarization, social media
Citation
Roos, C A, Utz, S, Koudenburg, N & Postmes, T 2024, 'Diplomacy online : A case of mistaking broadcasting for dialogue', European Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 314-331. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3015