The Role of Online Deliberation on Citizens’ Attitudes
In this paper, an experiment was conducted to assess
the impact of online deliberation on citizens’ attitudes. Specifically,
this research compared pre and post deliberation opinions of
participants who deliberated online via an asynchronous platform
regarding the issue of political opinion polls. Results indicate that
online deliberation had a positive effect on citizens’ attitudes since it
was found that following deliberation participants changed their
views regarding public opinion polls. Specifically, online deliberation
improved discussants perceptions regarding the reliability of polls,
while suppressing their negative views about the misuse of polls by
media, polling organizations and politicians.
[1] B. I. Page, Who deliberates?: Mass media in modern democracy.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
[2] J. Gastil (2000), “Is face-to-face citizen deliberation a luxury or a
necessity?” Political Communication, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 357-361, 2000.
[3] S. Chambers, “Rhetoric and the public sphere: has deliberative
democracy abandoned mass democracy?” Political Theory, doi:
10.1177/0090591709332336, 2009.
[4] R.E. Goodin, and J. S. Dryzek, “Deliberative impacts: the macropolitical
uptake of mini-publics, Politics & Society, vol. 34, no. 2, pp.
219-244, 2006.
[5] S. Niemeyer, “The emancipatory effect of deliberation: empirical
lessons from mini-publics”, Politics & Society, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 103-
140, 2011.
[6] S. Wright, and J. Street, “Democracy, deliberation and design: the case
of online discussion forums”, New Media & Society, vol. 9, no. 5, pp.
849-869, 2007
[7] T. Graham, and T, Witschge, “In search of online deliberation: Towards
a new method for examining the quality of online discussions”,
Communications-sankt Augustin then Berlin, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 173-204,
2003.
[8] X. Zhou, Y. Y. Chan, and Z. M. Peng, “Deliberativeness of online
political discussion: A content analysis of the Guangzhou Daily
website”. Journalism Studies, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 759-770, 2008.
[9] A. Mitra, “Marginal voices in cyberspace”, New Media & Society, vol.
3, no. 1, pp. 29-48, 2001.
[10] D. Janssen and R. Kies, “Online forums and deliberative democracy”,
Acta política, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 317-335, 2004.
[11] Z. Papacharissi, “Democracy online: Civility, politeness, and the
democratic potential of online political discussion groups”, New Media
& Society, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 259-283, 2004.
[12] S. Albrecht, “Whose voice is heard in online deliberation?: A study of
participation and representation in political debates on the internet”,
Information, Community and Society, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 62-82, 2006.
[13] M. T. Loveland and D. Popescu, “Democracy on the Web: Assessing the
deliberative qualities of Internet forums”, Information, Communication
& Society, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 684-703, 2011.
[14] A. G. Wilhelm, “Virtual sounding boards: How deliberative is on‐line
political discussion?”, Information Communication & Society, vol.1, no.
3, pp. 313-338, 1998.
[15] S. Wright, “Politics as usual? Revolution, normalization and a new
agenda for online deliberation”, New Media & Society, vol. 14, no. 2, pp.
244-261, 2012.
[16] L. Dahlberg, “The Internet and democratic discourse: Exploring the
prospects of online deliberative forums extending the public sphere”,
Information, Communication & Society, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 615-633, 2001.
[17] S. Chambers, Reasonable democracy: Jiirgen Habermas and the politics
of discourse (Vol. 11). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1996.
[18] S. Chambers, “Deliberative democratic theory”, Annual Review of
Political Science, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 307-326, 2003.
[19] S. Iyengar, R. C. Luskin and J. S. Fishkin, “Facilitating informed public
opinion: evidence from face-to-face and on-line deliberative polls”,
Presented at Annu. Meet. Am. Polit. Sci. Assoc., Philadelphia, 2003.
[20] J. W. Rhee and E. Kim, “Deliberation on the Net: Lessons from a Field
Experiment”. Online Deliberation: Design, Research, and Practice, eds.
T. Davies and S. P. Gangadharan, 223-232. Stanford, CA: CSLI
Publications, 2009.
[21] R. C. Luskin, J. S. Fishkin, and S. Iyengar. “Considered Opinions on
U.S. Foreign Policy: Face-to-Face versus Online Deliberative Polling”.
Paper presented at the International Communication Association, New
Orleans, LA, 2004
[22] K. Strandberg and K. Grönlund 2012), “Online Deliberation and Its
Outcome—Evidence from the Virtual Polity Experiment”, Journal of
Information Technology & Politics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 167-184.
[23] V. Price, “Citizens deliberating online: Theory and some evidence”. In
T. Davies and B. S. Noveck (Eds.), Online deliberation: Research and
practice (pp. 37–58). Chicago: Chicago Universiry Press, 2006.
[24] M. X. Delli-Carpini, F. L. Cook, and L. R. Jacobs,”Public deliberation,
discursive participation, and citizen engagement: A review of the
empirical literature”. Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci., vol. 7, pp. 315-344, 2004
[25] S. J. Min, “Online vs. face‐to‐face deliberation: Effects on civic
engagement”. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, vol. 12,
no. 4, pp. 1369-1387, 2007.
[26] K. Grönlund, K.. Strandberg and S. Himmelroos, “The challenge of
deliberative democracy online–A comparison of face-to-face and virtual
experiments in citizen deliberation”. Information Polity, vol. 14, no. 3,
pp. 187-201, 2009.
[1] B. I. Page, Who deliberates?: Mass media in modern democracy.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
[2] J. Gastil (2000), “Is face-to-face citizen deliberation a luxury or a
necessity?” Political Communication, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 357-361, 2000.
[3] S. Chambers, “Rhetoric and the public sphere: has deliberative
democracy abandoned mass democracy?” Political Theory, doi:
10.1177/0090591709332336, 2009.
[4] R.E. Goodin, and J. S. Dryzek, “Deliberative impacts: the macropolitical
uptake of mini-publics, Politics & Society, vol. 34, no. 2, pp.
219-244, 2006.
[5] S. Niemeyer, “The emancipatory effect of deliberation: empirical
lessons from mini-publics”, Politics & Society, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 103-
140, 2011.
[6] S. Wright, and J. Street, “Democracy, deliberation and design: the case
of online discussion forums”, New Media & Society, vol. 9, no. 5, pp.
849-869, 2007
[7] T. Graham, and T, Witschge, “In search of online deliberation: Towards
a new method for examining the quality of online discussions”,
Communications-sankt Augustin then Berlin, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 173-204,
2003.
[8] X. Zhou, Y. Y. Chan, and Z. M. Peng, “Deliberativeness of online
political discussion: A content analysis of the Guangzhou Daily
website”. Journalism Studies, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 759-770, 2008.
[9] A. Mitra, “Marginal voices in cyberspace”, New Media & Society, vol.
3, no. 1, pp. 29-48, 2001.
[10] D. Janssen and R. Kies, “Online forums and deliberative democracy”,
Acta política, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 317-335, 2004.
[11] Z. Papacharissi, “Democracy online: Civility, politeness, and the
democratic potential of online political discussion groups”, New Media
& Society, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 259-283, 2004.
[12] S. Albrecht, “Whose voice is heard in online deliberation?: A study of
participation and representation in political debates on the internet”,
Information, Community and Society, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 62-82, 2006.
[13] M. T. Loveland and D. Popescu, “Democracy on the Web: Assessing the
deliberative qualities of Internet forums”, Information, Communication
& Society, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 684-703, 2011.
[14] A. G. Wilhelm, “Virtual sounding boards: How deliberative is on‐line
political discussion?”, Information Communication & Society, vol.1, no.
3, pp. 313-338, 1998.
[15] S. Wright, “Politics as usual? Revolution, normalization and a new
agenda for online deliberation”, New Media & Society, vol. 14, no. 2, pp.
244-261, 2012.
[16] L. Dahlberg, “The Internet and democratic discourse: Exploring the
prospects of online deliberative forums extending the public sphere”,
Information, Communication & Society, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 615-633, 2001.
[17] S. Chambers, Reasonable democracy: Jiirgen Habermas and the politics
of discourse (Vol. 11). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1996.
[18] S. Chambers, “Deliberative democratic theory”, Annual Review of
Political Science, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 307-326, 2003.
[19] S. Iyengar, R. C. Luskin and J. S. Fishkin, “Facilitating informed public
opinion: evidence from face-to-face and on-line deliberative polls”,
Presented at Annu. Meet. Am. Polit. Sci. Assoc., Philadelphia, 2003.
[20] J. W. Rhee and E. Kim, “Deliberation on the Net: Lessons from a Field
Experiment”. Online Deliberation: Design, Research, and Practice, eds.
T. Davies and S. P. Gangadharan, 223-232. Stanford, CA: CSLI
Publications, 2009.
[21] R. C. Luskin, J. S. Fishkin, and S. Iyengar. “Considered Opinions on
U.S. Foreign Policy: Face-to-Face versus Online Deliberative Polling”.
Paper presented at the International Communication Association, New
Orleans, LA, 2004
[22] K. Strandberg and K. Grönlund 2012), “Online Deliberation and Its
Outcome—Evidence from the Virtual Polity Experiment”, Journal of
Information Technology & Politics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 167-184.
[23] V. Price, “Citizens deliberating online: Theory and some evidence”. In
T. Davies and B. S. Noveck (Eds.), Online deliberation: Research and
practice (pp. 37–58). Chicago: Chicago Universiry Press, 2006.
[24] M. X. Delli-Carpini, F. L. Cook, and L. R. Jacobs,”Public deliberation,
discursive participation, and citizen engagement: A review of the
empirical literature”. Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci., vol. 7, pp. 315-344, 2004
[25] S. J. Min, “Online vs. face‐to‐face deliberation: Effects on civic
engagement”. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, vol. 12,
no. 4, pp. 1369-1387, 2007.
[26] K. Grönlund, K.. Strandberg and S. Himmelroos, “The challenge of
deliberative democracy online–A comparison of face-to-face and virtual
experiments in citizen deliberation”. Information Polity, vol. 14, no. 3,
pp. 187-201, 2009.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:70465", author = "Amalia Triantafillidou and Georgios Lappas and Prodromos Yannas and Alexandros Kleftodimos", title = "The Role of Online Deliberation on Citizens’ Attitudes", abstract = "In this paper, an experiment was conducted to assess
the impact of online deliberation on citizens’ attitudes. Specifically,
this research compared pre and post deliberation opinions of
participants who deliberated online via an asynchronous platform
regarding the issue of political opinion polls. Results indicate that
online deliberation had a positive effect on citizens’ attitudes since it
was found that following deliberation participants changed their
views regarding public opinion polls. Specifically, online deliberation
improved discussants perceptions regarding the reliability of polls,
while suppressing their negative views about the misuse of polls by
media, polling organizations and politicians.", keywords = "Online deliberation, attitudes change, opinion polls,
e-democracy.", volume = "9", number = "8", pages = "2733-5", }