Abstract
The present study examines how anonymity and incivility influence interpersonal evaluations and message persuasion in the context of online user comments. The results of two experiments showed that the lack of identity cues undermined the perceived credibility of commenters and the persuasiveness of public discussion in comment forums. Additionally, participants who read uncivil comments following a news article were more likely to negatively evaluate the commenters and the content of the online discussions compared to their counterparts exposed to civil comments. The study not only demonstrates the corrosive effects of online incivility on deliberative outcomes but also provides evidence to better explain anonymous communication from the perspective of message receivers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 912-936 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Mass Communication and Society |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 7 Jul 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2020 |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'The influence of anonymity and incivility on perceptions of user comments on news websites'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Cite this
- APA
- Author
- BIBTEX
- Harvard
- Standard
- RIS
- Vancouver