2019/04/01 by Matthew J. Kushin, Masahiro Yamamoto, Francis Dalisay · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · Psychology · #Social Media and Politics #Media Studies and Communication #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence #Presidential election #Opposition (politics) #Presidential system #Isolation (microbiology) #Silence #Political science #Context (archaeology) #Social media #Public opinion #Politics #Social psychology #Media studies #Sociology #Psychology #Law #History #Art
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/2056305119855139
openalex publication_date 2019/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
The 2016 US presidential election was highly contentious, as both candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, received strong polarizing support and opposition with controversial campaigns, name-calling, and violence at campaign rallies. This may have contributed to an opinion climate where citizens were reluctant to express support for a candidate. This study tests the spiral of silence theory in the context of this election. We examine the interplay among opinion congruency, fear of isolation, and willingness to express support for a candidate. Data from an online survey show that opinion congruency for Clinton in society at large, and for Trump on Facebook, had indirect associations with willingness to express support for a candidate face-to-face, on Facebook, and in anonymous online settings through fear of isolation.