Title |
Emergence of polarized opinions from free association networks
|
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Published in |
Behavior Research Methods, August 2018
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DOI | 10.3758/s13428-018-1090-z |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Bálint File, Zsolt Keczer, Anna Vancsó, Beáta Bőthe, István Tóth-Király, Márton Hunyadi, Adrienn Ujhelyi, István Ulbert, Júlia Góth, Gábor Orosz |
Abstract |
We developed a method that can identify polarized public opinions by finding modules in a network of statistically related free word associations. Associations to the cue "migrant" were collected from two independent and comprehensive samples in Hungary (N1 = 505, N2 = 505). The co-occurrence-based relations of the free word associations reflected emotional similarity, and the modules of the association network were validated with well-established measures. The positive pole of the associations was gathered around the concept of "Refugees" who need help, whereas the negative pole associated asylum seekers with "Violence." The results were relatively consistent in the two independent samples. We demonstrated that analyzing the modular organization of association networks can be a tool for identifying the most important dimensions of public opinion about a relevant social issue without using predefined constructs. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 24 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 6 | 25% |
Student > Master | 5 | 21% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 3 | 13% |
Lecturer | 2 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 1 | 4% |
Other | 3 | 13% |
Unknown | 4 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 9 | 38% |
Social Sciences | 3 | 13% |
Unspecified | 1 | 4% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 1 | 4% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 1 | 4% |
Other | 2 | 8% |
Unknown | 7 | 29% |