ABSTRACT

Integrating the Spiral of Silence and the Situational Theory of Problem Solving, this study examines the relationships among fear of isolation, public segmentation, and willingness to express COVID-19 opinions amidst a public climate polarized by social media. An online survey sampled 338 U.S. participants. Findings revealed that fear of isolation predicted COVID-19 opinion expression. Additionally, segmentation of publics predicted COVID-19 online information-seeking behavior while situational variables moderated the relationship between fear of isolation and opinion expression engagement. Findings provide practical implications for effective health messaging and social media literacy efforts to combat opposing public opinion judgments about adhering to public health guidelines.

摘要

本研究将沉默的螺旋和解决问题的情境理论相结合，研究了在社交媒体两极分化的公共氛围中，害怕孤立、公众分裂和表达 COVID-19 意见的意愿之间的关系。一项在线调查对 338 名美国参与者进行了抽样。调查结果显示，对孤立的恐惧预测了 COVID-19 的意见表达。此外，公众的细分预测了 COVID-19 在线信息搜索行为，而情境变量则缓和了对孤立的恐惧与意见表达参与之间的关系。调查结果为有效的健康信息传递和社交媒体扫盲工作提供了实际意义，以打击关于遵守公共卫生指南的反对舆论判断。