Nonparticipation as Self-Censorship: Publicly Observable Political Activity in a Polarized Opinion Climate

Abstract

In a polarized opinion climate, people may refrain from participating in publicly observable political activities that make them vulnerable to scrutiny and criticism by others who hold opinions that differ from their own. We took a dispositional approach to testing this claim by determining whether people who are relatively more influenced by the climate of opinion when choosing whether or not to voice an opinion, measured with the Willingness to Self-Censor scale [Hayes et al. International Journal of Public Opinion Research 17 (2005) 298], are also relatively less likely to engage in public political activities. In a poll of residents of the United States, we found that even after controlling for interest in politics, political ideology, ideological extremity, political efficacy, attention to political news, dispositional shyness, frequency of political discussion, and demographics, dispositional self-censors reported having engaged in relatively fewer public political activities over the prior 2 years compared to those less willing to censor their own opinion expression. These results are consistent with our interpretation of political participation as a social process that is governed in part by the social psychological implications of participation to the person. At a larger theoretical level, our findings

Exploring Online Engagement in Public Policy Consultation: The Crowd or the Few?

“…Nevertheless, political science studies have criticized this view, noting that it is not possible for every citizen to participate in every public decision because of the limited knowledge and lack of motivation (Dahl 1989;John 2009) and other barriers to inclusion, such as Public Administration Australia the rules of public participation (King et al 1998), self-censorship in a polarized environment (Hayes et al 2006), participants' negative views of authority, poor awareness of participation opportunities, and social inclusion issues (Lowndes et al 2001). Thus, Urbinati and Warren (2008) argued that adopting online platforms for direct citizen engagement might create misconceptions of greater inclusion, and they claimed that citizen representation through online platforms was misunderstood as direct democracy, noting that 'only a tiny percentage of citizens are actively involved in any given venue' (p. 405).…”

I Went to President Obama’s Inauguration, but I Couldn’t Tell Anybody but God: Self-Monitoring Among People of African Descent

“…This instrument later becomes a tool for more contextualized research in which it is then used to measure self-censorship within climates of polarized political views (2006). In the latter research, Hayes et al (2006) suggest that "politics is a divisive subject" where the "polarization of public opinion combined with an apparent decrease in civility of political discourse" means that "political activity such as discussion and other forms of political opinion expression are potentially dangerous interpersonally" (p. 260). Hayes et al (2006) also contend that as people often experience a feeling of reticence about the potential volatility of hostile opinion climates, the response then is to "engage in a form of self-censorship" (p. 261).…”

“…While some researchers focus on the level of hostility in a climate (Hayes et al 2006), others focus on different aspects of the context-cultural, socio-relational, which also impact the decision to refrain. For example, Nelson (1982) explores how academic freedom in a school setting lends itself to the right of educators to engage students in what are considered inappropriate discourses for polite company-sex, religion, and politics, but appropriate within the educational context because of the analytical and intellectual purposes of addressing such topics.…”

“…Rosenberg (1954Rosenberg ( -1955 suggests that the fear of participation stems from worries over social costs-alienation, occupational reprisal, and an adverse impact on camaraderie. To voice a dissenting view or even to confirm a stance on that which is seen as an unpopular position affects the decision to reveal or engage for fear of social evaluation (Hayes et al 2006). Although not political in nature, Friedman and Miller-Herringer (1991) speak about the ability of high self-monitors to mask expressive behaviors and emotions of triumph in the company of the conquered in a competition.…”

“…In Account 3, for example, the Obama-admirer self-monitors to avoid "consequences for me as a faculty member." Thus, refraining from speaking a political opinion avoids negative evaluations and rejection from others that can result from supporting an unpopular position (Hayes et al 2006).…”