Hate speech analysis as a function of ideology: Emotional and cognitive effects

Abuín-Vences, Natalia, Cuesta-Cambra, Ubaldo, Niño-González, José-Ignacio and Bengochea-González, Carolina Hate speech analysis as a function of ideology: Emotional and cognitive effects. Comunicar, 2022, vol. 30, n. 71, pp. 37-48. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

Hate speech is a major problem, especially in the political environment, where it generates polarization and social conflict. There are no experimental laboratory studies that have analyzed the mechanisms of action of hate speech using biometric records to evaluate the implicit negative emotion caused by these discourses, despite the essential importance of emotion in this problem. This work investigates the interaction between the ideology of the source and the audience (progressive vs. conservative) and the type of message (hate vs. non-hate) on cognitions (perception of the veracity of the message and the source) and negative emotion (biometric and self-reported). Biometric emotion was assessed by recording heart rate variability and electrodermal response. The results highlight the importance of evaluating implicit biometric responses that reveal inaccessible data with other methodologies: conservatives show more emotion in their biometric records than in self-reported ones. With these measures, hate desensitization effects are also detected in both audiences. With self-reported measures, more negative emotion is detected in progressive audiences only when the source is contrary to their ideology; on the other hand, conservatives show less negative emotion in all cases. These results are interpreted as a consequence of normative pressure and endogroup cognitive biases.

Spanish abstract

El discurso de odio constituye un importante problema, especialmente en el entorno político, donde genera polarización y conflicto social. No existen trabajos experimentales de laboratorio que hayan analizado sus mecanismos de acción empleando registros biométricos para evaluar la emoción negativa implícita provocada por estos discursos, a pesar de la importancia esencial de la emoción en este problema. El objetivo de este trabajo es investigar, en una muestra universitaria, la interacción entre la ideología del emisor y el receptor (progresista vs. conservador) y el tipo de mensaje (odio vs. no-odio) sobre las cogniciones (percepción de credibilidad del mensaje y del emisor) y la emoción negativa (biométrica y auto-informada). La emoción biométrica se evaluó mediante registros de la variabilidad intercardíaca y la respuesta dermoeléctrica. Los resultados destacan la importancia de evaluar las respuestas biométricas implícitas que revelan datos inaccesibles con otras metodologías: los conservadores muestran mayor emoción en sus registros biométricos que en los auto-informados. También se detectan, con estas medidas, efectos de desensibilización del odio en ambas audiencias. Con medidas auto-informadas, se detecta mayor emoción negativa en las audiencias progresistas solo cuando el emisor es contrario a su ideología. En cambio, los conservadores manifiestan menor emoción negativa en todos los casos. Se interpretan estos resultados como consecuencia de la presión normativa y de sesgos endogrupales de conformidad.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Hate speech; implicit emotion; ideology; neuro communication; credibility; GSR; Discurso de odio; emoción implícita; ideología; neurocomunicación; credibilidad; GSR
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BJ. Communication
G. Industry, profession and education.
G. Industry, profession and education. > GH. Education.
Depositing user: Alex Ruiz
Date deposited: 21 Mar 2022 07:07
Last modified: 21 Mar 2022 07:07
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/42971

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