Social Capital and the Spiral of Silence

2012/07/11 by Francis Dalisay, Jay D. Hmielowski, Matthew J. Kushin +1 · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Social Media and Politics #Social Capital and Networks #Social and Cultural Dynamics #Liberal arts education #State (computer science) #Ambivalence #The arts #Silence #Sociology #Performance studies #Politics #Library science #Media studies #Political science #Management #Psychology #Higher education #Law #Art #Anthropology #Computer science #Psychoanalysis

paper · doi:10.1093/ijpor/eds023

openalex publication_date 2012/07/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

This study explores the role of social capital in the spiral of silence process and investigates whether (1) individual-level indicators of social capital are associated with willingness to express opinions, (2) individual-level indicators of social capital are associated with the perception that others support one’s opinions, and (3) perceived support for one’s opinions mediates the proposed relationship between individual-level social capital and willingness to express opinions. Three commonly examined individual-level indicators of social capital were analyzed—civic engagement, trust, and neighborliness. Results of a representative survey conducted on Guam showed that civic engagement had a direct effect on willingness to express opinions. Neighborliness and trust had direct positive effects on perceived support for one’s opinions, which in turn, were positively related to willingness to express opinions. Implications were discussed.

Citations

• Community, Communication, and Participation: The Role of Mass Media and Interpersonal Discussion in Local Political Participation
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• The Spiral of Silence a Theory of Public Opinion
• Community Structure and Crime: Testing Social-Disorganization Theory
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• A Cross-Cultural Test of the Spiral of Silence
• The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations.

Cited by

• Spiral of silence [wikipedia]

Related

• The spiral of silence: examining how cultural predispositions, news attention, and opinion congruency relate to opinion expression
• Trust, cooperation, and equality: A psychological analysis of the formation of social capital
• The Effects of Mass Media Use and Social Capital on Civic and Political Participation
• Is Social Capital Declining in the United States? A Multiple Indicator Assessment
• Measuring Social Capital in Five Communities