Political discussion is a key mechanism for the development of reasoned opinions and political knowledge, but online political discussion has been characterized as uncivil, intolerant, and/or ideologically homogeneous, which is detrimental to this development. In this paper, we examine the role of personality in various forms of political talk—online and offline—as well as like-minded discussion. Based on a 2017 survey conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, and France, we find that people who are open-minded and extraverted are more likely to engage in political talk but less likely to engage in like-minded discussion. Individuals who are older, less educated, introverted, and conscientious are more likely to find themselves in like-minded discussions, both online and on social media. Like-minded discussion is rare; personality, rather than ideology, predicts whether people engage in this form of political talk in online and offline modes. Our findings challenge the role of social media in the creation of like-minded discussion. Instead, we should look to the role of individual attributes, such as personality traits, which create a disposition that motivates the use of social media (and offline networks) to cultivate like-minded discussion.

政治讨论是发展理性观点和政治知识的关键机制，但是在线政治讨论的特征是不文明，不宽容和/或意识形态上的同质化，这对这种发展是有害的。在本文中，我们研究了个性在各种形式的政治对话中（在线和离线）以及志趣相投的讨论中的作用。根据2017年在英国，美国和法国进行的一项调查，我们发现持开放态度和性格外向的人更可能参与政治对话，但不太可能进行志趣相投的讨论。年龄较大，文化程度较低，性格内向，有责任心的人更有可能在网上和社交媒体上进行志同道合的讨论。想法相似的讨论很少见；性格，而不是意识形态，可以预测人们是否以在线和离线模式参与这种形式的政治演讲。我们的发现挑战了社交媒体在建立志趣相投的讨论中的作用。取而代之的是，我们应该着眼于个性属性（例如人格特质）的作用，这种个性会促使人们利用社交媒体（和离线网络）来培养志趣相投的讨论。