False Consensus Goes Online

Abstract

This study analyzes survey data obtained from members of neo-Nazi and radical environmentalist discussion forums. It assesses the extent to which participants in homogeneous online groups exhibit false consensus, i.e., overestimate public support for their views, and whether the overestimation increases with increased online participation. Although the analyzed sample overestimates public support, the overestimation is no greater than found with more conventional populations studied to date. However, false consensus among the neo-Nazis increases with their involvement in online groups, also controlling for extremism. Among the environmentalists, it is the extremism, not online participation that accounts for false consensus. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

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