"Us" and "Them": Outgroup Bias on the Polarization of Public Opinion in China

• In Event: Communication-Based Drivers and Political Consequences of Affective Polarization

Abstract

In tandem with the rapid development of information and media technologies, the internet is progressively becoming more socialized and diversified. According to the 49th edition of the "Statistical Report on Internet Development in China" by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), as of December 2021, the number of Chinese internet users exceeded one billion, indicating a growth of 42.96 million compared to December 2020, with an internet penetration rate reaching 73.0%. The internet provides a public discourse space for free discussions, leading to an evolving relationship between politics and media characterized by a form of "symbiosis" or "sameness."

Due to the anonymity and virtual nature of the internet, individuals can express their voices on public issues of interest from behind the screen. In this process, people often hold different or opposing viewpoints, which interact through the flow of information on social media. These interactions result in conflicting, consistent, or coexisting opinions, creating an open, rational, and diverse online discourse atmosphere. However, paradoxically, despite information technology offering numerous opportunities for communication and interaction, it has not led to a higher level of consensus in society.

Frequently, contentious topics such as China-U.S. relations, healthcare, and pandemic prevention rapidly escalate in the public sphere. Discourse creators begin to circumscribe spaces conducive to their target audience, and precise algorithmic content recommendations inundate individuals with a plethora of homogenized information. Issues such as the spiral of silence, information cocooning, and filter bubbles persistently emerge. The solidification of individual thinking and the narrowing of cognition lead people to interpret opposing views as exceptionally extreme, emphasizing sharp ideological opposition. Instances of remote confrontations in WeChat Moments, heated battles on Weibo, and the proliferation of extremist and irrational discourse exacerbate conflicts and divisions within the online discourse space.

The phenomenon of extreme polarization in public opinion has emerged as a significant societal challenge globally. Over the past few decades, regions such as Europe, the United States, and Central Asia have witnessed instances of opinion polarization and social division, undermining the fundamental consensus on democratic political development. The Western political science community has engaged in extensive discussions on the factors contributing to the formation of attitude polarization at the public level. Political psychology studies, in particular, indicate an exaggeration of extreme stances by outgroups on social issues: when individuals are asked to report the average stance of outgroup members from different political parties on societal issues, both Democrats and Republicans predict more extreme views than the actual attitudes, resulting in a misleading two-tier polarization.

Some research suggests that negative meta-prejudices and meta-dehumanization contribute to intergroup hostility, fostering political attitude extremism. This phenomenon is especially prevalent under the influence of partisan media in Western democracies. However, the information dissemination systems in developed Western democracies, such as the United States, differ significantly from those in China. Further validation is required to determine the extent to which psychological mechanisms like meta-prejudice and meta-dehumanization can explain phenomena in China. Domestic research in China has primarily focused on descriptive analyses of public viewpoints and emotional disparities related to specific hot-button events, with limited exploration of the underlying mechanisms.

In the current era of rapid internet information development, unanswered questions persist regarding the existence of meta-prejudice and meta-dehumanization among Chinese netizens in political discussions. Do these biases contribute to the polarization of online public opinion? This study aims to address these gaps by focusing on the political and psychological factors contributing to the polarization of online public opinion in China. The research seeks to examine the extent of meta-prejudice and meta-dehumanization among the Chinese population and explore how these biases operate in the media environment to shape public opinion. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights for advancing the understanding of public opinion and political communication in China.

Author

• Minxuan Huang, Tsinghua University