Author: Stephen Johnson / Source: Big Think
- A recent study examined the role that incivility plays in how people perceive online political arguments.
- The results showed that incivility led to more negative perceptions of political arguments — even when the argument was logical.
- The researchers suggested that name-calling, mockery and other forms of incivility should be avoided if you want to persuade people along political lines.
What’s a great way not to persuade people in online political discussions? Toss in a bit of incivility. That’s the takeaway from a new study published in Computers in Human Behavior that examined the role incivility plays in online discussions between different political groups.
“Conflict between political groups is interesting to me because it presents an intergroup situation where individuals often assert their views with a great deal of certainty and a great deal of enmity, yet discussions and contact between people with different political perspectives and identities is important to democratic society,” study author Dr. Jason Popan, an associate professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, told PsyPost.
In a series of experiments, the researchers asked liberal and conservative participants to read fabricated online political arguments, and to evaluate the rationality of arguments proposed by people of the opposite…
The post The 1 thing to avoid in online political arguments appeared first on FeedBox.