Spiral of Silence

Question 1

what is the core idea of spiral of silence theory?

Answer 1

people are less likely to express opinions if they believe they’re in the minority, due to fear of isolation

Question 2

For deduction/induction do we choose the theory first or do we let the theory emerge?

Answer 2

deduction = theory comes first
induction = data comes first

Question 3

what is “public opinion” in spiral of silenence?

Answer 3

the dominant set of belifs percieved as accepted or safe to express

Question 4

what is “pluralistic ignorance”

Answer 4

everyone in a group thinks they’re the only one who holds a certain belief, so they stay silent, even though many others might actually agree with them.

Question 5

what role does media play in spiral of silence?

Answer 5

media amplifies majority opinions and can distort public perception of what most people believe

• from Erving Goffman

Question 6

how do groups effect spiral of silence?

Answer 6

group norms influence willingness to speak up

Question 7

what is the quasi-statistical sense?

Answer 7

This is your gut feeling or intuition about what most people think. Not based on actual numbers or data, but on what you observe around you

Question 8

what is the train test?

Answer 8

a scenario used in research assess whether people would speak to a stanger about controversial topics

can provoke gender-based discrimination and marginalize gender minority groups

Question 9

what does “willingness to self-sensor” mean?

Answer 9

choosing not to express opinions that go aginst the percieved majority

Question 10

who are the “hard core”?

Answer 10

people who are deeply committed to a cause and speak out regardlesss of social pressure

Question 11

what are “dual climates of opinion”?

Answer 11

a difference between what people privately believe and what they think most others believe

Question 12

who is most affected by the spiral of silence?

Answer 12

those who fear isolation and have low confidence; less affected if people feel strongly about their views or are in supportive groups

Question 13

Alex disagrees with the class on a political issue but stays silent. What best explains Alex’s behavior according to Spiral of Silence Theory?
A. Train test
B. Public opinion
C. Quasi-statistical sense
D. Willingness to self-censor

Answer 13

Willingness to self-censor