Concepts
Spiral of Silence Theory
Media Studies
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The theory that an individual's perception of how public opinion is distributed influences their own willingness to express an opinion, so that people who believe their view is a minority tend to stay silent, reinforcing the appearance of a dominant opinion. Created in 1974 by German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann.
Facts
Concept Domain Formulated Year Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Both are opinion-formation theories concerned with how perceived media coverage shapes what the public believes others think.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationSpiral of silence, opening paragraphQuote, Spiral of silence, opening paragraph
The spiral of silence theory is a political science and mass communication theory which states that an individual's perception of the distribution of public opinion influences that individual's willingness to express their own opinions.
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationSpiral of silence, Background sectionQuote, Spiral of silence, Background section
In 1974, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, a German political scientist, created the model called 'Spiral of Silence'.
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Description
Charles Salmon and Kurt Neuwirth's research found only mixed supportive evidence for fear of social isolation as the mechanism driving the spiral of silence, identifying issue knowledge and personal concern as more significant factors in willingness to speak out than fear of isolation itself.
A dissenting reading, from an independent laneWikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation
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